Social networkers take note. The world is full of people who claim to know other people, yet it's debatable how much they really know one another. We call our acquaintances friends and it is only when we notice that they care very little for us, that we wonder whether we have given them the title too freely. Who is really looking out for your best interests now? That's the person you should feel proud to call your companion.

great question

friends, to me, are those I feel I could honestly 'count on' if things got rough

the majority of people online and in the world are mostly acquaintances and strangers


few 'friends'

What are you actually asking here?

I can count my friends on the the finger of one hand....lol

oh my..lol

I hope that doesnt include family,, is family a different category?

Do you want to be my friend before we get into another roundabout?

I just want to see what you're actually asking here. Are you asking how many friends people have, compared to acquaintances?

Family is a different category

I am most uncomfortable referring
to everyone as friends.
Certainly they are all acquaintances.
If it deepens, quid pro quo, maybe.
I think I have like, 130 'Friend' requests.
(About a 2-3 month accumulation.)
Don't know any of them.
Not sure what they are thinking.
I do agree that an interpretation of a
friend would be someone with your best
interests in mind.
As you would have theirs.

according to www.m-w.com

Definition of FRIEND
1
a : one attached to another by affection or esteem b : acquaintance
2
a : one that is not hostile b : one that is of the same nation, party, or group
3
: one that favors or promotes something (as a charity)
4
: a favored companion

By definition, I have many friends. I do separate people out though. I have a lot of "adopted family". There is also what I refer to as "the inner sanctum" which is my very closest companions. "The inner sanctum" in my life is even closer than most family. Some of you have heard me talk about the concept of it is not fair to have "the one" in your life, therefore the burden falls on "the few" people who fulfill different needs. "The few" are who I refer to as "the inner sanctum".

I just know people, I have zero friends. Some would like to be, but live too far away.

The only friends I have are on line. None in real life.

I like you reply. There is a vast difference between friends and acquaintances. There is a greater difference between real acquaintances and cyber acquaintances.

Funny you should mention that.
Got me thinking.
I also, at this time, have mostly on-line friends.
When I got divorced, all 3 of my 'friends' where
I live, decided they did not wish to have a
divorced me around their spouses.
As if.
It did show me how little they knew me.
Then my 'best' friend, left town owing me $$
and leaving me in a compromising sitch.
Friendless, but for the internet, at the moment.
Funny, how that works huh.
I love my real friends, on-line or no.

If my world fell to bits tomorrow who would walk through my door to support me?

If someone else's world fell to bits tomorrow whose door would I walk through to support them?

The answers to those questions, are ...the people who call me friend, and the people I call friend.

and realistically....it would get really crowded in here, (at my house)....and I would walking through a lot of doors.

My partner is my best friend, and the rest are dear friends.

Honest answer. But then honesty is one great quality in any person.

What does distance have to do with friendship?

I have several friends in real life who live close by. Some are good friends. Some are friends that I only see every once in a while. Some are acquaintances that I only see when out at happy hour or something like that.

I also have real life friends who live far away.

Most people on here are acquaintances. There are some friends, though.

It's odd. Most of my life, I thought I had several good, solid friends around. Then in early 2009, I was in a car accident and had to move, in order to recuperate. All of the people I thought were my friends just vanished once I was no longer around them. Very strange. I guess they figured I couldn't be their "therapist" anymore if I wasn't on call 24/7.

Live and learn.

You are a lucky man.. Congratulations on the recently arrived.