How do you all define the word "friend?"

I'm curious. What, to you, is a friend? Is it someone you have things in common with? Is it someone you do fun things together with? I just would like to know your thoughts! Those are two of mine, as well as a friend being someone you can trust & talk to. Maybe this is a silly question.

Hi SWA,


IMHO a casual friend is someone who you have something in common with and someone with whom you can do fun stuff with.

A close friend on the other hand, is someone who not only meets those two requirements, but also is someone you can trust and really talk deeply to about stuff.

With all that being said... even if your friendships are the close variety ALWAYS try to make your friendships as fun as possible.

If you or your friend spend too much time talking about personal problems or other negative things, the friendship will die a premature death.

Stick to doing fun stuff you and your friend both enjoy and only talk about things that trouble you every now and then. Don't dump all your problems on your friend(s)-- but instead dicuss the majority of your problems and troubles with your therapist.

A true friend is someone who accepts you for who you are, unconditionally.

~Someone with whom you can experience even the worst case scenerio of issues with.
~Someone with whom you can laugh with, cry with, share with, be angry with, be jealous of, resent and even be seperated from...but in the end, always find your path back to eachother.....simply because they are a TRUE friend.

Unfortunately, finding such a friend is rare. We'd be lucky to have one true friend in our entire lifetime, (and to last a lifetime).
Acuqaintances are many, they are easily made and sometimes, come a dime a dozen.
True friendship is rare and requires mutual attendance and effort...well worth the benefits gained.

And as PPatty said, it all depends on the quality of friendship you are seeking. Either is perfectly good so long as it is what you are looking for.

Shangrala

To me a true friend is someone who cares about you and respects you.

It has many different meanings to many different people.

To me its somone I rarely see but can call upon if I need help and visa versa......

Those are great, everybody! Thanks!

A friend to me is someone I can trust, and someone who I know is always going to be there, no matter the time or where I am or where they are in the world. A friend isn't someone who is just there because they have nothing better to do... It takes a long time to find a real friend.

Someone special that I have trust in and can share my life and fears with... the one that offers unconditional acceptance of ME as I am.

I RECENTLY found out that best friends (to me) dont excist, only multiple good friends that all have sth good you can take out of them.

to me a friend is someone you talk to frequently, someone you can tell secrets to and not worry about it being repeated or about being ridiculed or teased for telling, someone who likes/loves you for who you are, not what you know, what you can do, what you will do for them. Yes, you do things for friends, but friends don't expect you to do things for them. it's someone who you can just sit in a room with and be there.