Everyone has, at one time or another, wondered to what extent a friend is a friend and what a best friend is, so I decided to look up the definition of a friend or confidant.
There are four types of friendship.
・Acquaintance
→ Acquaintances and you are only acquaintances who greet each other and do not discuss serious matters or inside information with each other. If you bump into each other at a social event, you will greet each other briefly and talk, but you will not make any other deliberate plans with each other.
・Casual friend
→ The first major difference between acquaintances and their friends is that they make plans to see each other, not by chance. We have other common hobbies and enjoy spending time together on those hobbies and occasionally have dinner together because of our work. However, I do not ask these friends to pick me up or accompany me for refreshment.
・Close friend
→ The main difference between a friend and a close friend is that they can tell each other more in-depth stories, details about their work, their families, their past, etc.
・Intimate friend
→ With this type of friend, we can share everything or point out shortcomings or suggestions to help each other be better. This is because intimate friends understand each other deeply (Haworth, 2018).
Why are true friends important?
・Good for mental and physical health
・Support for the emotional part of your life
・Helps build self-confidence (Very well,2022)
How to make a “real friend”
First of all, making new friends is difficult and not immediate. Also, deep friendships are different. Those friendships want to share major life events, trust each other, and support each other.
・Communicate
First of all, to become true friends, we talk about trivial things, tastes, and hobbies, and then we talk about what’s going on inside.
・Spend time with your friends
Some may wonder what times and occasions to share. However, surprisingly, it is easy to find out. For example, if you enjoy taking a morning walk or spending time at a café, invite your friends to join you. If you enjoy playing your favorite game together, you can invite a friend to join you.
・Build trust
The most important thing you can do to build trust is to prove to others that you yourself can be trusted first. It can be small at first. It is not a matter of demanding that the other person trusts you, but it is important that it comes from you.
・Share the past
It is very important to share your past with others in order to develop deep friendships, even if it was not good for you. Even if it was not a good thing for you, sharing your past can bring you closer together, almost like family (Watkins, 2020).
Reference
Haworth, A. (2018). Acquaintance vs Friend – Definition (With Examples). [online] SocialSelf. Available at: https://socialself.com/blog/difference-friend-acquaintance/ [Accessed 12 June 2022].
Verywell Mind. 2022. The Top 6 Reasons Friends Are Important. [online] Available at: <https://www.verywellmind.com/the-importance-of-friendship-3024371> [Accessed 19 June 2022].
Watkins, N. (2021). How to Make Real Friends (And Not Just Acquaintances). [online] SocialSelf. Available at: https://socialself.com/blog/make-real-friends/ [Accessed 12 June 2022].
