What does friendship mean?

Friendship is one of the most cherished and coveted relationships in the world today. It is a bond between people that offers loyalty, respect, trust, and platonic love. The bond is usually initially formed by familiarity and like-minded people. The connection allows people to share thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Unfortunately, the term friendship/friends are used too loosely. For example, on social media, it is said that a person has 500+ friends. Based on the true definition of friends/friendship, this is not possible. It is crucial to be able to distinguish between a friend vs. an acquaintance.

ACQUAINTANCE

An acquaintance is someone you have fun with, but you do not take the relationship more in-depth. Acquaintances are usually not people you confide in or call when you are having a problem. You and an acquaintance will rarely or never check in on each other. The relationship with an acquaintance usually serves a specific purpose, such as someone to party with, someone to have laughed with at work, someone to chat with at the playground with the kids, or even someone to DM with on social media when everyone else in your life is busy. If the relationship with the acquaintance ended suddenly, the impact on your life would be minimal. Yes, you may have to find a new party person or a new social media buddy, but you would deem that person replaceable, and you would move forward. 

FRIENDSHIP/FRIEND

A friendship is the opposite of an acquaintance. You take the bond with a friend to deeper levels. You start out hanging out, talking in different situations, and really getting to know each other. This usually leads to confiding in one another and viewing each other as problem solvers. There is a special kind of trust with a friend, the kind that makes you feel safe to be vulnerable with that person. Also, you feel a sense of loyalty and a need to reciprocate all that they have been for you. In a friendship, you are both invested in the relationship, and you support one another no matter what. If the friendship suddenly ended, you both would be devastated. It would be a loss in your life, and you usually go through the five stages of grief. It takes time to build a friendship, even though the connection can happen almost immediately. Real friendships can last a lifetime, till death do you part.

CONCLUSION

It is essential to put the people in your life under the right category. When you put friendship expectations on an acquaintance, you will likely be disappointed. This is not to say acquaintances are bad. Everyone should have friends and acquaintances to have a fulfilling life. People come into our life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.