Thanks for your suggestions, you almost seem like friends. I am actually at the tail end of a very mild depression (which I'm being treated for) which may have warped my perceptions a little, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm wrong, psychologists often point out "normal" people see things through rose tinted glasses, they are slightly high and accordingly slightly unrealistic. i'm curious which psychologists pointed this out?

I find the problem with friendship in the real world is it is based on having things in common, being equal, "we seek ourselves in our friends" as my anthropology lecturer said. one of the neatest things for me is that i have freinds from all walks of life. they enrich my life because they are often different from me and i can learn more looking thru someone else's perspective. i think it has broadened my "world".

Once there are differences, in ability, finances, etc envy and attacks seem to start. see above comment...and if one is a true friend to another i don't think these catalysts necessarily take place, otherwise they would not be a true friend in the purest sense.

I wonder if things like facebook are so popular because people seem the same, differences are not visible, we may be projecting ourselves onto them.

One difference which is visible on facebook is how many "friends" you have which may be partly why I hate it. There's hardly any other intereaction on the net I don't like.