What do you expect from a friend?

33 Comments

What do you expect from someone in order for you to consider them a friend?

Friends: for life, through good times and bad. 22
Friends: as long as I'm entertained. 6
Friends: as long as you don't become depressed. 0
Friends: if you have lots of money and spend it on me. 0
Friends: when you call me to hang out more than anyone else. 4
Friends: only if you help me bury a body. 2
Friends: if you dress or look like me. 0
Friends: as long as I need a friend, I'll take anyone I can get. 1
Friends: when you boost my self-esteem. 1
Friends: as long as you are there for me when I am down. 7
Friends: if you understand me and accept all of me, the good and bad. 33
Friends: as long as you are covered in fur and walk on all fours. 10
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Comments ( 33 )
  • howaminotmyself
    11 years ago

    Good question. I have different levels of friendship with people. Some are acquaintances and rather casual relationships. I expect very little from those. But over time they may become good friends. And then I may expect favors returned in the form of a shared experience.

    Then there are good friends that I hold to a higher standard due to these shared experiences. They are like family to me. If you fall into this group, I still expect very little in return other than the ability to sit in silence and not need anything. It's hard to explain. Some people I just click with and don't require them to treat me the way I treat them.

    I like those friends, the kind who accept you for exactly who you are and ask nothing from you. I will give those friends the world simply for allowing me to be comfortable in my own skin. And I hope they feel the same.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      You are a loyal friend, anyone would be lucky to have your friendship.

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      • howaminotmyself
        11 years ago

        Thanks OP. That is very kind of you to say. It means a lot.

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  • Ghost-of-the-Marlboro-Man
    11 years ago

    Someone to smoke with.

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    • foxyk
      11 years ago

      lol i see your comments everywhere they are funny always about cigs hahaaaa by the way i love marlboro

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      • [Old Memory]
        11 years ago

        The jokes are derivative, and thusly they are not funny nor clever.

        And marlboro are very poor quality, very dry and weak tasting.

        You need to get out more.

        Ghost-of-the-Marlboro-Man is a clown shoes gimp, who promotes smoking to the many kids that frequent IIN. Because joking about smoking is still putting it out there.

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        • Anonymous Post Author
          11 years ago

          You sound jealous little kitty.

          *here's a saucer of milk for you.*

          (___________)

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          • [Old Memory]
            11 years ago

            I don't think you understand what the word "jealous" means, and to be jealous one needs something specific to be jealous of.

            But what I do sound like is a smoker who doesn't encourage or push it on others.

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        • foxyk
          11 years ago

          lol i need to get out more? maybe you need to if you can judge me so quickly with not knowing how awesome my life is, and all the places i have been to and all the fun things i do. trust me, i know how to live my life, buddy. the jokes are indeed funny. what do you smoke? don't think it matters since it's killing you anyways!

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  • dom180
    11 years ago

    I don't expect any friend to be with me for life but in my main group of friends there are people who I would expect to stick by me even through bad times, and I think I have a right to expect that as I would do the same in return.

    There are other friends who I hold on a more superficial level (friendships made of little more than shared interests), and others who I have out of convenience. Friendships exist on different levels, and we have different expectations of them depending on the depth of the friendship.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      If you put the care in, then it only seems fair to expect the same amount of care in return, doesn't it? Who'd want to devote care to someone who'd leave you hanging? Hopefully, all of your friends will stick by you as long as you stick by them.

      I think everyone has friendships of a superficial nature and they're called 'acquaintances' so it's not a true friendship but more of an alliance.

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      • dom180
        11 years ago

        There's something about the term "alliance" for it that amuses me. I'm going to use it in my head now, instead of acquinetance :)

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  • Anime7
    11 years ago

    For me there is a huge gap in what I consider a friend and a close friend.

    Friend: I know you on a superficial level. We talk only in school and we don't hang out.
    Close Friend: I know almost everything about you and we're very close. I could tell you anything and you'd try to understand. You accept the good, but more especially the bad, parts of me. I could sit in a room with you doing nothing and I'd be comfortable.

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    • Unimportant
      11 years ago

      I think most people wouldn't call the first one a friend, but rather an acquaintance.

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  • Shackleford96
    11 years ago

    OP, I like your options.

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  • Shroot
    11 years ago

    Group masturbation

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  • anti-hero
    11 years ago

    Friends: Give me a blow job, while the homemade cookies they just made are baking in the oven.

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  • [Old Memory]
    11 years ago

    Nothing. It's all false

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      "Nothing" is an honourable thing to expect from a friend. Most friends tend to focus on what they are receiving from the friendship instead of what they themselves bring to it.

      But I'm not sure what you mean by "it's all false," would you care to elaborate on that?

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      • [Old Memory]
        11 years ago

        I was just being sarcastic. I don't expect anything from my friends. But even then, I can still feel disappointed.

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        • Anonymous Post Author
          11 years ago

          I'm relieved you're being sarcastic.

          Yeah, I think with any friendship, there is always a mutual expectation they will stick with you as long as you stick with them. When that fails to happen, there's a feeling of anything from mild disappointment to absolute betrayal. Perhaps it's what we invest in the friendship, and not what we receive, which determines our degree of hurt from the fallout.

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          • [Old Memory]
            11 years ago

            It's sad to discover that others aren't as loyal as you. In fact it makes me mad. They need me to show them the way. I take pleasure in other endeavours. It is what it is.

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  • ucipher8
    11 years ago

    all of me the good and the bad. I have an over active personality that doesn't rub too well with most people. But i tend to be more familiar with adults than anything else. Problem is, as adults, we rarely ever speak to each other, lol. But still, it would be nice to have a friend who had the time to hang out, cause it does suck to be lonely sometimes. Imagine no internet!

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  • Archbang
    11 years ago

    Someone who would love me so very much.
    I want a male, since I'm gay.

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  • Unimportant
    11 years ago

    Someone I'd spend time with, even if I don't have to.

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  • 1000yrVampireKing
    11 years ago

    An ideal or what I think would happen most of the time? An ideal friend is polite, not loud and obnoxious, does not get food thrown at you(them), has no life, always happy to see you, will not trade you in for someone richer or better looking, is not a dicks.

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      A dog?

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      • 1000yrVampireKing
        11 years ago

        Does that really sound like a dog?

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        • [Old Memory]
          11 years ago

          As all of that can be applied to a dog, yes.

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    • disthing
      11 years ago

      Your ideal friend has no life? :/

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      • Anonymous Post Author
        11 years ago

        That's sounds selfish doesn't it? Most people want their friends to have a great life.

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  • Paradiddle
    11 years ago

    I find the friends for life such a good option that it is unfair since I wouldn't want any of my friends to be non-permanent. Still, I chose the "As long as you are there for me when I am down" option. This is because that is when a friend is supposed to try to help or at least lend an ear if you need it and when they don't or happen to make you feel worse, I start to question their position as a friend. Sure there are plenty of other factors and I certainly don't only call on friends if I'm down but its still an important part to me.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      That is definitely a test of the strength of a friendship, you find out who the fair-weathered ones are and who will stand by you through tough times.

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