How Do You Define "Friend"?

2HF

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May 24, 2011
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We live in a world where every 15 year old girl has 3000 "friends" across various social networks.

This has always bothered me. It's half the reason I don't use any form of social networking apart from Facebook and even then I have about 10 people on my friends list and I post something maybe once a month.

For some time now I've defined "friend" as "someone you'd call to come bail you out of jail". That is the line for me. Everyone else is just an acquaintance or something.

In my life I have 3 of these people. My ex who I'm very good friends with, a guy twice my age who was my first boss 10 years ago and who introduced me to good movies, books, and music, and then there's an old poker buddy who lives 1000 miles away.

I often wonder why other people are able to make so many friends when I can only manage the 3 (this is not a pity thread, my problems are my own doing and I'm fully aware of it).

How do you define it? Can you count your friends?
 

Eleuthera

Let slip the Guinea Pigs of war!
Sep 11, 2008
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Len Wein said:
A friend is someone who is there for you when he'd rather be anywhere else.
I have maybe 5 true friends, and about 10 close acquaintances. And a whole bunch of people I'm friendly with.

An example; One of my best friends sat by my bed reading a book while I was asleep in the hospital last year, just so there would be someone there if I woke up.
 

Zhukov

The Laughing Arsehole
Dec 29, 2009
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"A person who would volunteer to help me hide the bodies."
 

Rastien

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Jun 22, 2011
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Someone who let's me steal from them.

Wether it's their washing machine or their electrick or just their tea and company ^^
 

Keoul

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Apr 4, 2010
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I'm seeing a lot of "someone who would..." posts and it made me think of something...
if the friendship isn't mutual (the other party doesn't do the same) would they still be considered friends?
 

Eleuthera

Let slip the Guinea Pigs of war!
Sep 11, 2008
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Keoul said:
I'm seeing a lot of "someone who would..." posts and it made me think of something...
if the friendship isn't mutual (the other party doesn't do the same) would they still be considered friends?
I call the people who are there for me friends, wether or not they call me friends is a different question, but I would hope so.

I would also like to think i'd be there for them when they need me as well, but until it happens you never really can tell.
 

Mistermixmaster

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Aug 4, 2009
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My mind immediately went to this episode of QI <youtube=YVL6cis33bA>

More on topic though, I got 6 good friends (of the "would help you dispose of a body"-kind). So I guess the way I define a friend? That's probably bad. xD
 

CrazyCapnMorgan

Is not insane, just crazy >:)
Jan 5, 2011
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"What does 'friend' mean to you?
A word so wrongfully abused.
Are you like me - confused?
All included, but you...alone."
 

Calibanbutcher

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Nov 29, 2009
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2HF said:
We live in a world where every 15 year old girl has 3000 "friends" across various social networks.

This has always bothered me. It's half the reason I don't use any form of social networking apart from Facebook and even then I have about 10 people on my friends list and I post something maybe once a month.

For some time now I've defined "friend" as "someone you'd call to come bail you out of jail". That is the line for me. Everyone else is just an acquaintance or something.

In my life I have 3 of these people. My ex who I'm very good friends with, a guy twice my age who was my first boss 10 years ago and who introduced me to good movies, books, and music, and then there's an old poker buddy who lives 1000 miles away.

I often wonder why other people are able to make so many friends when I can only manage the 3 (this is not a pity thread, my problems are my own doing and I'm fully aware of it).

How do you define it? Can you count your friends?
A real friend does not come to bail you out.

He sits next to you and tells you: "Well, that sure was a wild ride."

On topic: I have 3-4 people I consider as really close friends, the ones that would sit next to me.
And I have about 5 I know would come and bail us out.
 

Eclipse Dragon

Lusty Argonian Maid
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Jan 23, 2009
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I have two close friends that would go to Mordor with me.
Only one of those close friends wouldn't push me into the lava, if I hesitated to throw the ring in.
 

hazabaza1

Want Skyrim. Want. Do want.
Nov 26, 2008
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Mistermixmaster said:
My mind immediately went to this episode of QI <youtube=YVL6cis33bA>

More on topic though, I got 6 good friends (of the "would help you dispose of a body"-kind). So I guess the way I define a friend? That's probably bad. xD
Dangit, I was gonna say what Rich said. Or something along those lines.
 

DugMachine

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Apr 5, 2010
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A friend is someone who is more than a thousand miles away and even though we don't see each other or talk as much we get right back together and pick up like nothing happened. Someone who will be there for me whenever I need them and I in return.

Deal with my bullshit and don't run away when times get tough and you'll be my friend for life. I only have two best friends in this world and my girlfriend of course.

edit: My reponse is mega cliche so I shall expand.

I have many 'friends' who I've met through other friends or my girlfriend but real friends are the two best friends I have. They're the only ones I give a shit about in the grand scheme of things. The others are a great time sure but they're shallow relationships at best.
 

emeraldrafael

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Jul 17, 2010
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Well one of my closest friends has always been in the thickest of every fight and bad situation of my life but despite being friends since first grade I didnt know his name till seventh. so take form that what you will I suppose.
 

Ziggy

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Jul 13, 2010
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The value of a friendship is determined by the number of floors they will help you move. This goes both for up and down.
 

spartan231490

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Jan 14, 2010
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I have probably about a dozen "friends" by that definition, except all of them are too poor to bail me out of jail, but if they had the money they would totally bail me. I have hundreds of aquaintences. I don't know what to tell you, living my life just kinda accumulated these people. Of course, I would call only about half of those "friends" I actually consider to be good true friends. I don't really know where I draw the line, it's not something I would do or share with them, it's just how close I feel to them I guess.
 

King of Wei

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Jan 13, 2011
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Well for the social networking stuff friends are more of a status symbol than anything else. My sister has somewhere around 600 Facebook friends but she only know, like, 5 of them.

For me a friend is someone who'll have my back when I need it and vise versa.

If I have you're back but can't trust you to have mine, you're not worth the effort.
If you have my back but I don't care to have yours, you're expendable.

Kinda a dual requirement.

Of those, I have 0 friends. lol. Used to have 1 when I lived in Delaware but lost contact with him, shame too.