Weekend-Engagement #292: A few close friends or many acquaintances? Which do you feel is better and why?

I answer with few close friends, without a shadow of a doubt. I don't need a lot of people around me who make small talk about some nonsense, who as soon as you say hi, you don’t hear from them again until who knows when, and then again just to talk about more nonsense. You can talk nonsense with anyone, from colleagues to acquaintances you see occasionally. Those are things that make the time go by, maybe make you laugh, but they don't give you anything real.

When I think of a friendship that’s worth it, I think of a friend I've known for many years. We talk very often, almost every day, she’s the type who listens to you, without judging, and if you need advice, she tells you what she thinks, without making you feel guilty, of course, it's a two-way thing, I do the same with her. It’s important to have someone you can really open up to, talk about what’s going through your head, talk in intimacy, without having to pretend to be someone else just to keep a superficial relationship going. It's with these people that you have conversations that matter, that make you see things from another perspective.

Clearly, you have to be careful and not give deep friendships right away, like that guy I used to know, who always tells you a thousand things about how much he cares and plays all nice, but in the end, when it’s time you really need someone, you don’t see him anymore or he disappears because he's caught up in other "friendships".

The truth is, with a few close friends, but real ones, you already have everything you need. Socializing is an important part of human nature but for me, it’s important that it's meaningful, someone who supports you, challenges you to grow, and even shows you when you're wrong. You don’t need a hundred people with whom you have a superficial connection and no real bond, you only need the ones who never make you feel alone, even when life throws difficulties your way, and really, it only takes a few if they are of value. We all go through tough times in life sooner or later, and in those cases, you need a true friend, even just to listen to you, something that wouldn’t happen with a superficial friendship. Not to mention the advice, do you think I’d take advice from someone who doesn’t even know me well? If I can count on someone who really listens to me, who understands me, that’s a friendship that’s worth it.

For everything else, there are bar talks.

Post in response to @galenkp Weekend-Engagement topics: WEEK292