Friends vs. Acquaintances

[pop 0]

Having lived in 5 countries I find that who people will call their friend varies from culture to culture. In the US for example people will quite often call their acquaintances “friends”. My question is who then do Americans call their acquaintances?

7 ounce wonders, music and dogs that are not into beer

[Scoop 0]

I can count what I would call real friends on one hand but I often refer to an acquaintance as a friend if I am talking to someone else. Its easier than saying: "this guy I work with, well his brothers girlfriend whom I met for 5 minutes once... blah blah blah"

[poe62 0]

Yeah, that goes for me too--I use the word friend loosely in passing just to mention who they are, but I don't actually mean they're close friends. I never really gave it much thought before until I met someone who wouldn't refer to me as a friend even if we talked all the time and helped each other through tough times. He said I had to *become* his friend and that we were merely acquaintances. I had THOUGHT we were friends, so it was an awakening. I hope he thinks of me as one, I think of him as one now. What he said though made perfect sense, and now I look at people more so as acquaintances rather than friends...reserving the true sense of the word for those who truly are...

~Nikki
http://www.facebook.com/poe62

Irgity Dirgity

[galvar2439 0]

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Having lived in 5 countries I find that who people will call their friend varies from culture to culture. In the US for example people will quite often call their acquaintances “friends”. My question is who then do Americans call their acquaintances?

Fuck Buddies

So i just broke up with this woman who wasn't even my girlfriend!

Hellfish #782, POPS #10664

[MikeJD 0]

I remember my dad saying that you make friends in your youth - once you get to a certain age then you only make acquaintances. But I think that assumes that once you leave school and start working, you don't really have any interests beyond your job and your family.

Needless to say, my dad didn't skydive
Maybe one sign of a friendship is when you first make plans to meet up away from the place where you run into each other by default.

[Amazon 7]

I have many acquaintances.....and there are even levels of those in my life.
I have very few people who I truely would call friends.

To me a friend is anyone who I would drop everything to help them no matter what the circumstances.....and vice versa.

I just do not meet very many people that are willing to put forth the effort.

[pop 0]

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I can count what I would call real friends on one hand but I often refer to an acquaintance as a friend if I am talking to someone else. Its easier than saying: "this guy I work with, well his brothers girlfriend whom I met for 5 minutes once... blah blah blah"

Just posing a question (not just to you, but ayone) - do you think that using the term "friend" loosely devalues the meaning of friendship? If we call everyone our friend, are they really our friends? I too can count only a few real friends. I attempt to not assign the friendship status to just anyone, ut I too quite often will call an acquaintance a freind. I was thinking this morning I really shouldn't do that, because when I call my real friend a friend, then the word has less meaning.

7 ounce wonders, music and dogs that are not into beer

[Broke 0]

A friendship is just like a love relationship it is a two way street. I have a shitlot more acquantances that I would like, but I do have a few true friends

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[porpoishead 5]

a friend will help you move

a real friend will help you move the bodies

if you want a friend feed any animal
Perry Farrell

[downwardspiral 0]

Haha you beat me to it.

I have no real friends locally and only two real friends nationally. I have had what I thought were real friends but I got tired of being the only one to make contact so I simply stop. As expected I never hear from them again.

C'est la vie.

www.FourWheelerHB.com

[Broke 0]

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a friend will help you move

a real friend will help you move the bodies

Acquantance: pretends to be your friend, but then gets scared and calls the cops on you because he thinks he's next

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[Orchid 0]

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My question is who then do Americans call their acquaintances?

Acquaintances to me are people I met briefly let's say...a friend of a friend...I know of a person, but not much about a person...make sense?! A friend to me is a person whom I know alot about & vice versa, a person I confide in...which is rare & few...very few!

"Love is doing small things with great love."

Lacrosse: Legally beating men with sticks since 1492

[shropshire 0]

Hard to believe, I know, but I have an American friend.........

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[lisamariewillbe 1]

I use the term loosely in general, we have BBQs every other weekend and I invite acquaintances and friends but dont introduce them as an acquaintance.

I used to have alot of people I considered friends, but finally I hit this point in my life where I needed my relationships with people to be give and take, instead of just give. If its someone I trust enough to seek advice from and someone I would drop everything for to offer my shoulder they are a friend, if not they are an acquaintance and I have nothing invested in them.

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[flygirl1 0]

A friend is someone who accepts your friend request on here, myspace or facebook. Duh I thought that was obvious. If they computer says your friends you must be

J/K

I would call people my friend if I feel a bond with them, see and hear from them frequently and enjoy their company, know them petty well and vice versa. Stuff like that

I call someone my close friend if I have known them a while and we are really close. They do stuff for me like help me move, came to see me in the hospital when I broke my leg, drop what they are doing to come see me on a bad day ect. and not flake on me. I hate that!!!!

Fly like a girl

[downwardspiral 0]

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I would call people my friend if I feel a bond with them, see and hear from them frequently and enjoy their company, know them petty well and vice versa.

I disagree with that. I see a friend as someone who you can not talk to for a very long time but when you do talk it's like time never passed. In other words the connection or bond is still there and very much alive.

www.FourWheelerHB.com

[bigairnut 0]

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a friend will help you move

a real friend will help you move the bodies

Acquantance: pretends to be your friend, but then gets scared and calls the cops on you because he thinks he's next

A friend will bail you out of jail.

A real friend will be right beside you going "damn that was crazy!"

[Stuntbabex 0]

If its just an acquaintance I refer to them as "this girl/guy I know"

[flygirl1 0]

I guess I put that wrong. I didn't mean I don't consider someone my friend If I don't hear from them often. I just call people I like to see and hear from often my friends. I have lots of friends I don't see to often but, we at leased make an effort to stay in contact. I would not consider someone who didn't bother to contact me or return my calls/email's for a really, really long period my friend. Unless there was some reason for it like they were out of the country for a few years or something.

Fly like a girl

[bigairnut 0]

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I guess I put that wrong. I didn't mean I don't consider someone my friend If I don't hear from them often. I just call people I like to see and hear from often my friends. I have lots of friends I don't see to often but, we at leased make an effort to stay in contact. I would not consider someone who didn't bother to contact me or return my calls/email's for a really, really long period my friend. Unless there was some reason for it like they were out of the country for a few years or something.

I have a friend who will get into what he calls a "standoff" with other friends who don't call him. He won't call and they won't call and the "standoff" ensues. It's really silly, and yes, I do consider this guy my friend rather than aquaintance. Weird.

[LongWayToFall 0]

I don't think its wrong to call someone you only know a bit a "friend". It does less harm then saying they are not your friend. What is really annoying though, is when someone tolerates a person that is not trustworthy, and calls them a friend. I think that if someone cannot be trusted, then they should have no friends. I will sometimes be introduced to someone, a friend of a friend, and only after hanging out with them for some time will I find that they have no morals and I would prefer not to be around them. I then have to ask my friend, why did you tell me this person is cool when they aren't? I think a good person is someone who surrounds themselves with people they can trust, like "I'm outta town can you take my wife/daughter out to dinner" or go into your house when you are not there and you know they will not take your stuff. These are the people who are your true friends, or good buddies, not just "friends". So, keep true friends close. If you hang out with asshats it just reflects your own lack of self respect

[flygirl1 0]

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I guess I put that wrong. I didn't mean I don't consider someone my friend If I don't hear from them often. I just call people I like to see and hear from often my friends. I have lots of friends I don't see to often but, we at leased make an effort to stay in contact. I would not consider someone who didn't bother to contact me or return my calls/email's for a really, really long period my friend. Unless there was some reason for it like they were out of the country for a few years or something.

I have a friend who will get into what he calls a "standoff" with other friends who don't call him. He won't call and they won't call and the "standoff" ensues. It's really silly, and yes, I do consider this guy my friend rather than aquaintance. Weird.

He he it's funny how some people take things so seriously some times I have friends like that too.

It doesn't really bother me if people don't return my calls I have no rules about it and would happily call someone or get a call from someone even if I haven't talked to them in years. The only time it would bother me is if I repeatedly tried to contact them and they were just too busy to get back to me in a really, really long time. I had a friend in high school and my early collage years who I used to be really close with. I tried to call her a few times and sent a few email's to her but, haven't heard from her very much in the last 5 years except one email I got from her at Christmas a few years ago saying she missed me and would love to talk to me when she had more time. I wrote her back a few times but, she never got back to me. I would be happy to here from her if she ever does call back and I might even try again some day but, I guess she is just an acquaintance now since I don't know anything about her life. That doesn't mean I hold anything against her and I'm definitely not mad at her. I'm really busy too but, I just think your real friends make an effort to stay in touch. Even if it is only once and a wile

Fly like a girl

[shortyj 0]

It seems that a lot of people on here don't have true friends, that is sad. Where's the love?

Playtime is essential.

[lilDevil 2]

I know who my true friends are :-)

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" Cant keep a good woman down "
Angels have wings, but devils can fly !