More People Is Just Noise
You don't need many people in your life. Sometimes one is enough. We are so afraid of losing connections that we fret over everything, even the chance that someone might take offence at our opinions. If you cannot express yourself around someone, you never really had them.
We feel we need people so that when we call in a favour, someone answers. That is a perfectly valid premise to operate from. It just shouldn't govern your entire life. Do good things, be dependable, and the world will find its way to you. Be someone people genuinely want to spend time with. It's alright to speak your mind when asked for an opinion. You don't have to be an asshole about it.
Some people live remarkably simple lives that revolve entirely around their family. For some men, their wife is their closest friend. They have other friends, but they are just as content spending their time with her. Some people go through life with the same four friends they met in college.
You don't need more people. You need deeper bonds with a few of them. That is what actually changes your life. More people is just noise. The fewer you have, the deeper those connections run. You can stand by them through every stage of life, and nothing matters more.
The goal is to find the people you would want to keep for life.