Difference between friend and acquaintance
What's the Difference Between a Friend and an Acquaintance?
Friendship is always more profound and more intimate than mere acquaintance.
While many of the people you meet will remain acquaintances, some will eventually become your friends. But how do you know the difference?
Let’s find out:
Table of Contents
- Friends have a relationship with you that is deeper and broader than an acquaintance
- Depth of sharing
- Reciprocity
- Time
- A friend is a person on whom you can confide for almost anything and everything
- An acquaintance is someone who is not a close friend and you do not see him or her much
- A friend is someone who’s there with you through thick and thin
- An acquaintance is someone you just met through an introduction
- Friends share a deeper connection
- An acquaintance is someone that you know of
- Definition
- Depth of interactions
- Physical contact
- Their behavior around you
Erica McCurdy, CMC, YPF, PCC
Family Coach | Founder, McCurdy Solutions Group, LLC
Friends have a relationship with you that is deeper and broader than an acquaintance
Social media and the amount of time we spend at work can sometimes blur the lines, but there are some questions we can ask ourselves that can help us tell the difference:
- Do you think of your relationship in terms of keeping score? Acquaintances often have an imbalance in the relationship
- Would you apologize for or be worried about calling them on a weekend or late at night? Our friends are the ones we know we can call anytime when things go wrong and we need help.
- Do they reach out to you for the same kinds of things you reach out to them for? Acquaintances may be the result of a working relationship, proximity, or need creating an uneven relationship.
- Do they know the names of your family members, pets, etc.? While you may know a lot about the other person, in a friendship, the relationship is reciprocal and both of you are invested in each other’s lives.
- Would you be comfortable asking to borrow their car? Friendships are often defined by a willingness to share resources in times of need.
Stephanie Mihalas, Ph.D., NCSP, ABPP
Licensed Psychologist
A lot of people end up getting their feelings hurt, have major falling outs in interpersonal situations, or even have employment problems because of problems over the difference between a friend and an acquaintance.
Sometimes this actually can be hard because the other party may be giving off mixed signals to you at various times in the relationship and you may not be sure of the status of the relationship.
It is important to gauge the nature of the relationship is based on a few important factors:
Depth of sharing
How much does each person share about their personal lives? Does the relationship remain fairly surface level or does it go deeper and you both share about your families, your childhood, and your feelings?
The other critical point here is that it should go both ways.
If only one person shares, this an unequal relationship, and one person is holding back and likely does not see you as a friend.
Reciprocity
The relationship should be reciprocal. This means that there is a give and take. It may not always be equal. Nothing really is equal, even though we may want it to be.
But there is a degree of balance; such that one friend may treat the other to lunch or dinner and then the other will do so. A friend may surprise a friend with flowers one day and the other friend will do the same.
Whatever it may be, the point here is that no one in the relationship should feel they are being taken for granted.
Time
Friendships take time to develop. There is a saying that friendships are like nice old trees that get watered. They get nurtured over time because friendship is founded upon respect, understanding, and communication.
Friendship does not happen overnight.
Whereas with an acquaintance, usually, you meet them a few times and since the relationship is not that deep, you can call someone an acquaintance fairly quickly and this relationship does not have to be tended to with as much care as a friend.
Related: How to Meet People and Make Friends in a New City
Dr. Chris Norris
Chartered Physiotherapist | Neurologist | Founder, Sleep Standards
There is a lot of difference between a friend and an acquaintance.
A friend is your buddy whom you can look up to in the time of difficulty but acquaintance is any person whom you just know or have met but do not know well.
An acquaintance differs from a friend in that the encounters are generally meaningless to one’s life and neither person may feel a sense of mutual affection.
One more important thing to note is that an acquaintance may hold qualities of a true friend but those qualities may not be appreciated by the person who labels them as an acquaintance.
A friend is a person on whom you can confide for almost anything and everything
These are the people with whom you share a strong bond of trust, mutual affection, selfless love, companionship typically one exclusive of family or sexual relations.
Friends often meet, speak to each other, and hang out with each other. They are available in times of crisis and help each other. They may be the people in your friend list on social media, people whom you talk to, and meet with frequently.
An acquaintance is someone who is not a close friend and you do not see him or her much
You do not share any strong bond or mutual affection with an acquaintance.
People who are just an acquaintance do not meet, call, or interact frequently. They are not well known and hence are not obliged to help. They may be people at work or school and, friends of your friends
Kristina Perrin
Certified Psychologist | Sleep Coach, Pillow Insider
A friend is someone who’s there with you through thick and thin
A friend would always respect and love you no matter what phase of life you are going through. Friends are sacred.
A friendship is a feeling; it’s a human experience, between two human beings and there is friendship when you both feel it. It’s not a parasocial relationship that celebrities experience, where one party knows more about the other.
An acquaintance is someone you just met through an introduction
An acquaintance doesn’t necessarily care about how you feel. It is just someone who you might have heard, met them, shaken their hand, or had a cup of coffee with. You don’t really have a connection where you can tell how trustworthy they are.
We call a lot of people friends who aren’t really our friends. If you have thousands of friends on Facebook, it doesn’t mean they are actually your friends. They might be nice people, you like them and you clearly share common interests but they are not your friends.
Trust is the number one thing that defines a genuine friendship.
It’s really hard to find good friends like that but when you do, make sure you value the friendship and be there for them whenever they need you.
When both people have the same feeling, then there is a real friendship. It’s gotta be mutual and it’s a feeling. And that’s why it’s hard because it requires two people.
Your friends are the people who will be there for you at the time of need no matter what. These are the people who you can be weak around.
Your friends are people who you can cry around and they won’t think any less of you. Your friends are the people who when they need something, you are always willing to go the extra mile to make sure they get what they want.
Your friends are people who you can trust implicitly with all your secrets, who know everything about you and you’re just fine with that and you don’t need to sign a confidentiality agreement no matter what you tell them, show them or share with them. Those are your friends where the trust is deep and implicit.
Claire Barber
Certified Mental Health Consultant | Relationship Expert, Treeological
Friends share a deeper connection
There is a familiarity, comfort, trust, and bond that comes with a friendship that is not expected with an acquaintance.
An acquaintance is one that you may see in a certain context, whether it’s at work or school, and have a friendly rapport with. However, you may not share the intimate details of your life with this person nor socialize with them outside of the particular context.
A friend is one you want to make an effort to see and interact with and to share feelings, activities, and opinions.
There are also different levels of friendships. Some friends you can share your most private thoughts, while others are more superficial. Both can be friendships, as they simply fulfill different needs and roles.
As human beings, we’re designed to be social creatures and we do that through the relationships we create whether they are with friends or acquaintances.
Lauran Hahn, LMHC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Mindful Living Counseling Services
What is the difference between a friend and an acquaintance?
An acquaintance is someone that you know of
You may share a similar common ground, as you went to the same high school, live in the same neighborhood, or both your kids play on the same soccer team. Some commonality has linked the two of you together and now you know of each other.
What has to change in order for the relationship to level up from acquaintance status to the friend zone?
There needs to be a bit more driving the relationship than the commonality that brought you together.
Believe it or not, sparks need to fly. Yes, you heard me right. There needs to be something that sparks a connection and has you interested in getting to know the person a bit more.
This usually happens by realizing additional commonalities whether it is a complementary sense of humor, similar parenting styles, or a shared interest in Italian food, something propels your relationship to the next level.
In order to truly level up from acquaintance to friend, there needs to be a mutual interest in continuing this connection.
The relationship doesn’t really meet the definition of “friends” if one person continues to hold the other person in the acquaintance zone, while the other considers it a friendship. That just makes for an uncomfortable social encounter that has everyone feeling cringy.
Just because a person moves from acquaintance to friends, doesn’t mean it will last. There are a few more ingredients this relationship needs in order for it to be enduring.
Sustainability depends on mutual respect for the relationship which comes in the form of caring for each other.
This is cultivated through leaning on and being leaned upon in the relationship. This leads to trust and a sense of knowing the other will be there.
With continued nurturing, this relationship will likely level up again and move into the best friend zone.
Sam Whittaker
Relationship Expert | Editor, Mantelligence
We spend our time with the same group of people. We spend time in the same shops, the same places. It would just make sense that everyone we spend every day is considered our friends. But, that is not the case.
Friendships are unique relationships.
Not everybody we spend time with is someone we’re comfortable being around. This is why it’s important to know the difference between a friend and an acquaintance.
A friend and an acquaintance differ from each other when it comes to the following:
Definition
A friend is a person that you may not be related to, but have a strong bond and deep trust with.
A friend is someone you have mutual affection with. An acquaintance, on the other hand, is someone you know. They are not close friends, but you know them. This means you have been introduced to each other in some way.
Depth of interactions
An acquaintance can be someone you spend every day with, but your interactions with them are shallow and superficial. A friend, however, is someone with whom you share a deeper level of communication.
They feel comfortable enough around you to have a deep level of interaction. They may even dare you to different things that acquaintances will not be able to do.
Physical contact
Your friends will be able to hug, or even kiss you. There’s more physical contact between you and your friends. Meanwhile, an acquaintance will act more distantly, physically speaking, because there is not enough comfort between the two of you.
Their behavior around you
This is especially true when they come to your place.
When visiting you, an acquaintance will more likely be reserved and composed. They will follow all the “rules” you have set.
On the other hand, a friend will feel right at home with you. They will help themselves to whatever it is they need, but will still respect you as their friend.
It is not that hard to identify a friend from an acquaintance. You just need to look at who you have a more comfortable and deeper connection with.
Paige Arnof-Fenn
Founder & CEO, Mavens & Moguls
A friend is someone you genuinely care about, share common interests with, and feel an emotional connection to.
There is a level of trust and familiarity and they have your best interest at heart. Friends want to spend time together and share emotions there is not a sense of obligation. There is physical contact among friends whereas acquaintances usually stay at a distance.
An acquaintance is more of a contextual relationship through work or having been introduced (formally or through mutual contacts).
The attitude is more polite and reserved than between friends who share a common past, bond, and level of intimacy.
Acquaintances can become a friend if you get to know each other better and discover shared interests and friends can become an acquaintance if the relationship sours.
Dale Gerrett
Founder, Chipper Birds
We meet many people in our daily lives but there is only a handful that we get to choose and call friends.
I know a lot of people from work, school, and community but I only have a few to call as friends. Aside from my family, these people in my small circle are people I trust with my life.
An acquaintance is someone you know, name face and all but has yet to have a meaningful connection with you.
A friend, on the other hand, is someone you’ve shared different experiences with; good, bad, and everything in between. They’re the people you’ve celebrated milestones with and suffered losses with. They have always been there for you and stood by you even if you’ve made mistakes.
Friends are the people who encourage you to live a good life and become the best version of yourself.
How useful was this post?
Click on a star to rate it!
We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!
Let us improve this post!
Tell us how we can improve this post?
Difference Between Friend and Acquaintance
July 26, 2016
by Hasa
3 min read
Main Difference – Friend vs Acquaintance
It’s very important to realize the difference between friend and acquaintance if you want to know who your real friends are. An acquaintance is someone you know and spend time with occasionally. A friend is a person with whom you have a strong bond of mutual affection. Friendship is always deeper and more intimate than mere acquaintance. The main difference between friend and acquaintance is that friends are very close and knows each other’s intimate details, unlike acquaintances. The development of friendship takes time, and an acquaintance can become a friend after some time.
This article covers,
1. Who is a Friend? – Definition, Meaning and Characteristics
2. Who is an Acquaintance? – Definition, Meaning and Characteristics
3. Difference Between Friend and Acquaintance – Comparison of Meaning and Characteristics
Who is a Friend
Friend is a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations. Friendship includes a myriad of attributes and characteristics such as affection, honesty, trust, empathy, compassion, and mutual understanding. Friends share secrets and honest feelings with each other, and when one is in the company of his friends, he has the ability to be his true self. One can also make mistakes without fear of judgment from the friend. Friends help each other to solve their problems. In simple words, friends enjoy each other’s company.
We call our friends when we need help, have happy news to share, or just want to connect and talk.
True friends always help each other. But remember that friendship is not just about giving whatever help your friend wants. A true friend will advise and even argue with you if you are making a bad choice. He or she’ll also try to take you back to the correct path.
Friends often tend to share common backgrounds, interests or occupations. This shared backgrounds or interests enable them to understand each other better.
Who is an Acquaintance
An acquaintance is someone who is known but who is not a close friend. For example, the people you see at work or at school, but never bother to see outside of those circumstances and friends of your friends can be categorized as acquaintances. Most of your ‘friends’ on social media sites such as Facebook and MySpace also belong to this category.
Acquaintances may know some information about each other, and they may have long conversations, but they may not be as close as friends. The term acquaintance can also be used to friends you don’t feel close to or those you don’t see much.
You don’t usually ask help from acquaintances whenever you are in trouble; it’s your friends that you call first. You will seek help from acquaintances only if your friends are unable to help.
Difference Between Friend and Acquaintance
Meaning
Friend is a person with whom you share a strong bond.
Acquaintance is someone who is known but who is not a close friend.
Knowledge
Friends know everything about each other.
Acquaintances know each other slightly.
Interactions
Friends often hang out with each other.
Acquaintances do not interact often.
Help
Friends help each other.
Acquaintances are not obliged to help.
Image Courtesy:
“Friends” (Public Domain) via PEXELS
“Acquaintance” (Public Domain) via Pixbay
About the Author: Hasa
Hasa has a BA degree in English, French and Translation studies.
She is currently reading for a Masters degree in English. Her areas of interests include literature, language, linguistics and also food.
View all posts
You May Also Like These
Friend, comrade, friend, acquaintance - the anatomy of pathologies? — LiveJournal
?Previous Entry | Next Entry
After a series of conversations on the topic "Who is a friend" and once again looking into dictionaries, there is a conclusion that all these four terms are very often confused in one concept - everyone is called a friend, without dividing it in fact.
Unfortunately, a number of interlocutors who live according to the principle "it's so convenient for me, so I do whatever I want" are convinced that "My friend - what I want, I do with him!" In general, they do not need to understand who a friend or "someone else" is.
Their consumer attitude overlaps all these concepts to the level - my work ... [or even a thing]
In fact, a friend is the highest form of acquaintance with a person, whether it is a relative or a stranger. For in fact, a relative is a formal relationship with a person close in physical parameters. And if there is no relationship with a relative, then the relative is just a person, even if genetically similar.
Friend - a person who is close in spirit, in conviction, on whom you can rely on everything.
Comrade - a person who is close in occupation, occupation, living conditions, etc. and is connected by a commonality of views. nine0013 Friend - a person with whom a good, simple, but not very close relationship has developed.
Acquaintance - a person with whom I have met and have developed a relationship a little closer than just an outsider with whom I have some common business.
For the most part, it is used in the understanding of a friend - Familiar , who is counted on as a partner in some business or relationship.
at the same time, it is understood that the mutual unit of account is the relations between these people themselves. Many have heard such a definition as "Something to do by acquaintance" or similar tendencies in affairs between them. And many are not happy with such "friendly relations", but it's hard to find a true friend - you need to build relationships with him, respect him, and not just rely on the fact that if you did something to him, you will oblige him to the same. Such "kagbe friendly" alliances are not strong; conflicts or misunderstanding, or resentment, etc. can often arise in them. nine0003
True friendship is like a real family... But where are they - these real people???
| May 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||
| 8 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 31 |
- ru6enka : (no subject) [+1]
- me_cuppa : (no subject) [+1]
Powered by LiveJournal.
com
How to distinguish a friend from a friend?
72 312
A person among people To know oneself
He did not turn out to be near at a difficult moment, did not support when it was necessary, did not justify trust and hopes ... If something like this happened between us, the one whom we considered a friend becomes a traitor. And disappointment can be very painful. But the friend clearly expected a different relationship. nine0003
“Friendship is built on the implied agreement that it should be mutually beneficial or enjoyable,” writes the philosopher Helge Sware. “When one of the parties feels that this agreement is not being implemented, it becomes frustrated.”
And yet: did we treat the other incorrectly, considered him a friend, “but he suddenly turned out to be ...”, or, perhaps, the other was not going to be what he seemed to us?
“The notion that there are real friends who never let you down, and false ones who skillfully hide their true essence, is based on our fantasies,” the philosopher believes.
“That’s why it’s one-sided and infantile. We are all imperfect, which means we can disappoint others.” nine0003
Therefore, before judging, it is worth asking yourself a few questions. Has a friend often failed to live up to my expectations? Are there circumstances that can explain his behavior? Am I expecting too much from him? Am I sure that I always behave impeccably towards him? Such a conversation with yourself will allow you to realize your part of the responsibility - after all, relationships are always built by two.
It is important to understand how easily we can call someone we know a friend. Maybe we're just... in a hurry? In order to get to know each other, to learn to accept the positive and negative in the other, to quarrel with him and put up with disappointments, without ceasing to be friends, it takes time. nine0003
“It should not be forgotten that there are several degrees of closeness,” reminds the sociologist Jen Yager. A friend can be the one with whom we sometimes meet to drink coffee together, and the one we see every day.
With some friends we discuss books, films, performances, and with others we share the most intimate.
Jen Yager has been researching friendships for nearly thirty years. She believes that different types of friendship differ in the degree of closeness (buddies, close friends or best friends), and offers her analysis of the conscious and unconscious connections that define relationships. nine0003
Buddy
“Friendship is a characteristic type of relationship for many busy men and women who prefer to spend their free time with family and not waste energy on friends,” explains Jen Yager. A friend is more than just an acquaintance, but less than a close friend: in such a relationship there is less intimacy and trust.
A friend can also be called a “good friend”, with whom it is good to spend time, relax, go in for sports, go to the cinema or to exhibitions, discuss work matters ... You can be friends with him alone or join him with other friends. As a rule, friendly relations develop quickly, friends are united by a similarity of views and common interests.
nine0003
We have the right to expect
Goodwill, reciprocal assistance in simple matters, a positive attitude (approval of one's decisions and actions).
Reasons for separation or rupture
Over time, interests diverge more and more.
Moving or moving to another job, gossip, intrigue, withholding information, lack of reciprocity in providing assistance.
Close Friend
Caring, Sincere, Reliable, Honest, Heartfelt… “It is with close friends that special relationships develop that satisfy intellectual and emotional needs and complement family and romantic relationships,” says Jen Yager. nine0003
At the same time, a close friend does not claim an exclusive place in our lives and does not conflict with other relationships that are important to us. There may be several close friends, and not all of them (another difference) may know about some events from our past. We may not be as open with them as with our best friend. But it is with them that we share both joyful and difficult moments of our lives.
Close friends tend to become mutual friends of the couple.
We have the right to expect
Tact, sincerity, generosity, benevolence, help and support.
Reasons for separation or breakup
Relationship asymmetry (one begins to give more than the other), growing difference in views, values and lifestyle over time, the emergence of jealousy or rivalry.
Best friend
This is a friend in the full sense of the word. “He epitomizes the ancient idea of what a friend should be, and fully corresponds to the dreams of an ideal partner who is always there and for whom we are always in the first place,” says Jan Yager. nine0003
Friendship with him has not only stood the test of time, but also withstood all trials, from the smallest to the most important: a change in social status, marriage, the birth of children ... It is based on a deep conviction (confirmed by facts) that we are loved and appreciated for what what we are. From this, the key “ingredient” of our relationship is born: exclusivity, uniqueness.
You don't have to show your best side with your best friend. He is to us what a kindred spirit is in love. What are the qualities that make a true friendship? Indifference (loyalty to a friend and friendship), sincerity (willingness to open up and share feelings and experiences with others), trust (confidence that we will not be betrayed), honesty (openness in discussing relationships) and community of interests (we have common values, but we easily accept the features of the other). nine0003
We have the right to expect
Loyalty, "exclusivity" of relationships, frankness, self-giving.
Reasons for separation or breakup
Betrayal (your shared secret became known to outsiders, a friend “took” your partner away), a serious disappointment associated with an important moment in life (attitude towards a wedding, death, birth, illness ...), which you cannot forgive.
A false friend
He does not poison life, as a manipulator or a selfish friend does, he even behaves sincerely and good-naturedly in communication, but violates (rather unconsciously) the golden rule of friendship: reciprocity and reciprocity.
In friendship, such a person is changeable and self-centered. nine0003
Jan Yager distinguishes among false friends "friends in happiness" and "friends in misfortune". The first ones are friends with you only when everything is fine with you, and as soon as problems begin, they try to disappear. However, they do not hesitate to complain and call for help if they need it. This tactic is especially noticeable in conversations: they spend three times as long talking about their own problems than listening to yours.
Friends in misfortune, on the contrary, feed on other people's problems, because the position of a “vest” and a savior is both beneficial and pleasant, and also increases self-esteem. Someone else's suffering for such people is the best antidepressant, a guarantee of well-being. nine0003
Reasons for separation or breakup
The realization that the "friend" does not sympathize and support us in difficulties or even gloat when we experience problems or suffer.
“We are connected by lived experience”
Irina, 43 years old, artist, restorer
The younger brother of one of them introduced me to the guys. They were all three or four years older than me, but then the difference seemed significant. They were the company, and I was the timid, bystander. I admired their ability to speak interestingly, their erudition and gaiety. Communication quickly grew into friendship. nine0003
First close relationship with Natasha. We decided to go to her village, jumped without tickets on the train and ended up in a dining car, from which it was already impossible to get out. That trip became a real night of Scheherazade: so that we could safely reach our station, Natasha endlessly told our fellow travelers stories, real and fictional, and I inspired her to do this ... In the morning, getting off the train, we collapsed into a haystack and slept there all day .
After that, I realized that we are connected forever by this shared experience
Perhaps our company is like a necklace with large and small beads.
We are all different. Someone sets the tone, poetic, intellectual, a little philosophical, someone provokes, sharpens discussions. There are also those who, by their presence, create lightness, goodwill, and warmth. Man is spirit and flesh. When we meet, everything that touches the spirit begins to pulsate and live. And in ordinary life, everyone runs, takes care of children, and works. When we meet, we do not discuss all this, but as if we are floating above. nine0003
“Nobody can replace those with whom I breathed the same air”
Ekaterina, 46, teacher of the Russian language
Igor and Vanya went to the same school. They knew each other from the age of seven, I joined them at 16, and at 20 Vanya became my husband. Igor is a real poet. At school, we gathered at his house and listened to his poems. Igor is a lover of classical music, he had a collection of records, and we listened to the concerts and symphonies of Beethoven, Mahler, Wagner. Sometimes he stopped the music and shared his comments with us, sang, conducted.
nine0003
With a large group of classmates we went on bicycle trips, to dachas in early spring, skipped classes. Then Igor entered the Literary Institute, Vanya entered the medical school, and I entered the philological faculty at Moscow State University. At the university, on the very first day, I met Natasha, she joined my company of classmates quite naturally, as if she had studied with us all her life in the same class.
We also met and became friends with her friends: Maxim, Anya… We often gathered together at Vanya and me — in a small but separate apartment. They played charades. Many of them have been staged over the years, the most memorable word was "appeasement": it was divided like this - "died of jam." They sang a lot with the guitar or a cappella. nine0003
We also traveled. Together they went to Koziukas to Vilnius, to Georgia, to the homeland of Father Igor, to Western Ukraine - on folklore expeditions. They lived together, a common life, common joys. We went to church.
How joyful it was to stand and pray together, to rejoice in God. We fasted together, we broke the fast together.
And in 1994 I entered the graduate school of Yale University in the USA at the Slavic department. And we went to America. Three of our children were born here. And this is where we stayed. Every summer, except for the last two, we come to Moscow. I try to show children what Moscow is. We have been in America for 20 years. I have many close friends here. And a lot of friends. nine0003
But no one will ever replace that closeness in spirit, that friendliness, that depth that is felt in our company
I talk to Natasha every week, and not a single more or less important matter remains without discussion. In Moscow, we usually live together for several days to enjoy inseparable communication and discuss everything that has accumulated. I really miss all my Moscow friends. And if you ask me if I would like to return to Moscow, I would say yes, tomorrow! To be close to family and friends.
With those with whom I walked the same streets in my youth, with whom I breathed the same air, with whom I spent the happy days of my youth, with whom I grew up and grew older, no one can replace them. nine0003
Now we meet very gray and shabby, aged and tired. But it is amazing that none of us has changed in soul. For some reason, we all remained the same young at heart, laughing, laughing, singing and reading, going to church and traveling.
“Silence means no less to us than words”
Igor, 47 years old, philosopher, writer
Friendship, like any other human relationship, goes through different stages. The beginning of friendship is a hot stage, when friends are in constant mutual exchange and mutual enrichment, they have a great need to communicate, to have a dialogue, which, like two rivers racing side by side, then merge into a single stream ...
But, as a rule, this cannot go on all the time. And then the question arises: what is friendship - cooperation, community of spiritual interests, as in the relationship between Freud and Jung? Or mutual acceptance, mutual understanding at the level of simple things, trust and a sense of reliability.
That is, in other words, creativity or barbecue and wine?
When Maxim and I were about thirty years old, we were united by important common interests related to psychology, we spent time in philosophical conversations, apparently, we needed to live at the same time important for both. nine0003
By the way, it often happens that friendship is conditioned by this: at a certain life stage people meet with approximately the same life questions
And they try to talk and think about it together. But such intersections cannot last forever. Sometimes this develops into professional interest, cooperation, where sooner or later ideological rivalry arises. Or, after the hot stage of the relationship, there comes a cooling, even disappointment.
But if you treat it without maximalism, do not abandon the relationship, a pleasant maturity will come to replace it - friendship, which, ultimately, is wine and barbecue.
When people can just be happy to be around and silence means no less than words. This is just mutual understanding, reliability, trust - something that can remain for a long time, maybe for life. nine0003
When young, people come up with more entertainment, more opportunities, to which they can return later, remember for a long time. Gradually soldered long-term company becomes such a team, where parties are pre-scheduled. Such a distribution can be boring, we already know what to expect from whom, but, on the other hand, we can treat this as a tradition and catch a buzz. To enjoy the performance of all the usual roles - and this will be an excellently played game. nine0003
Of course, when people have a lively mind and character, then with age such roles are enriched, but they cannot change completely. If this happens, most likely, it will cause surprise and concern of the entire team - something happened to the person, he became different, how can I help him? Although, sadly, perhaps he just finally became himself.
Copyright © · The Wright Initiative · Articles · Site Map
