Question

[The Legendary Joe]

What makes a friend a friend, and what separates them from an acquaintance?

Surely there's a deal more respect and trust involved, but??Caring for them, and stuff, I'm not so good at that.

I've??got a good many people who say they're my friends, and there is indeed??trust between us, but I honestly don't know much of them aside from trivial things, and??I don't really care for them,??and if I do, it's usually for shallow, selfish reasons??like "oh, now I won't get my stuff back..."

I suppose my view on friendship was ruined when I was little and??my so called friends??ran off and snitched on me, I thought they were backstabbing caniving bastards, and needless to say, that friendship didn't really last long.??

All these TV shows and crap made me grow up with huge expectations for friendship and I was sorta let down with the crappy??lessons they taught me, so I guess I'm interested in how some of you would define the different levels of Friendship.

[mahawirasd]

well i think the old adage still rings true: "a friend in need is a friend indeed"

but really nowadays friendster and facebook really dissolves such rigorous classification... though the comic strip non-sequitur really did a number on that one:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_R4PUMY8HEM8/Sk...quitur.gif

anyhoo, trust can't be rushed. Bonds will grow or break with time, it's all part of life.

Me, i have lots of people whom i know. I am friendly to them and they are friendly to me. But from all those friends, i probably only consider 1 as a particularly good friend. I don't know if he returns in kind, but he's civil to me and i consider him trustworthy. That's all i need to consider him as a good friend. Naturally i act in a civilized way to him and to some extent i hope that he considers me a good friend, but i don't believe in asking him about it or forcing him to feel the same way i do. If ever i was in need and he came without me asking, then i know he's a friend indeed.

hope you've found your friend


-w-

[Seiji]

well, he said what I wanted to say
I luckily encountered the chance that totally proved me who are my real friends. They are "friends in need indeed".
I hope u know my point

[zanias]

Well... I've had a couple distinct experiences that I think you could use to clerify your friendships. I was on the phone with my friend Zach one day. Knew this guy since we were 4 when we were baby sat by my aunt. I moved to cali for highschool and end up on a three way chat with him and his girl friend at the time. I remember about half way through the conversation she said that it sounded more like we were going out more than they were. I couldn't stop laughing, but it's kind of along the same line. I've known this guy my whole life. One of my best friends out there.

Another experience I've had just recently. I'm at work and my friend Andre calls; He sais "Jerry! Carls Junior is closed!" I'm tell him there's no way. He laugs sais nah and asks what I want. I get a western bacon cheese burger. (Delicious!!!) He drives it to my work, I go and get my food from him, and he takes off. He didn't ask for money, didn't even mention having to pay him back. In this instance I'll prolly be picking up a meal or a movie down the road, or I might already have in the past and didn't worry bout it myself knowing that he would do the same.