Friendship

[Rodion Romanovich]

1. weak acquintaincy - you don't say hi, and try to pretend you don't know the guy/girl, he/she does the same. You might still be polite and work together occasionally when forced to. Although you know that the other knows you, you pretend not to, not necessarily actively but at least passively.
1. acquintaincy - you say "hi" and are polite, but no more, unless under special circumstances.
2. light friend - a mutual gain deal - quid pro quo - you can provide each others with goods or services, and this relation is strengthened when you make sure the other part needs what you can provide and doesn't think betrayal is worth the cost it'll have. Of course light forms of betrayal or ending of the mutual gain deal is forgiveable, but not betrayal as in going directly from ally to friend.
3. normal friend - the mutual gain you make is mainly that you both enjoy the social interaction with the other, and goods and services are less important. Often they can even be kept out of the picture to make the social interaction more smooth.
4. good friend - someone who saved your life or whose life you saved, a friend from a war, or someone who is trustworthy in all aspects - he (can also be a she although women are controlled by whims and dangerous to trust) doesn't compete for the same woman, he doesn't compete for the same job, he doesn't compete for anything else you know of, and the mutual gain you can have out of each others is both social interaction, goods and services, and you have about equal resources in what you can do for each others, and you have a history of trustworthy behavior between you. You might even die for that person, but not unless you're sure that person would do the same for you. And preferably you'd not die for that person, but rather make whatever bastard threatens your good friend die for his cause. Best of all is to tactically inspire the good friend, so he can deal with these dangers himself, so you never have to sacrifice your life or see him/her die, or have to attack any aggressor unprovokedly and illegaly but instead make sure the aggressor attacks but runs into impossible opposition and can be legally punished for the aggression. This type of friend is very rare. If you can reach this status with anyone except your family you can consider yourself lucky.

[LeftEyeNine]

I'm not sure about the use in English, but friends are everywhere as logn as you have normal social functions and is called "Arkadaş". And those are rare but stand aside with you when you are in deep **** are called "Dost".

Therefore IMO there are 2 of them and I prefer having friendship with the second group. I do not waste time with people, I create time for those that worth it.

[Somebody Else]

I rate it on how much notice I need to give if I want them to come for a drink with me... or whatever.

My best friends - I'll call and be meeting in a bar within half an hour, at the other end of the line - there are some people I'd only invite along if it was a big gathering like a flat-party (uni-style). And then there are those I won't invite at all, but will chat to if we happen to be at the same event...

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I view my friends in three classes, essentially. I try not to rate them as people, but how close friends they are to me.

3: People I know only over the Internet, or people I have only met maybe once (not including family for the second one, of course. It's hard to meet everyone in an extended family like mine often). They may be (and usually are) a good crowd, but I simply don't know what you're like in real life (or I know very little of what you're like), and would probably trust this "class" with very few things that may harm me, if any.

2: People I have known for a while. Real life friends who I can have a good conversation with, head to the movies with, stuff like that. Most of my friends fall into this category.

1: Close friends. I would trust them walking behind me with a loaded shotgun, even if I was carrying millions of Euros on me. Friends who are as close or closer then quite a bit of my family. Friends I have known for a long time. I would place no more then five or six friends in this category. If zombies or the Americans attacked, this would be my guerilla squad. The friends who I can really trust, and the feeling is mutual.

[A.Saturnus]

True friendship means for me that I'll be there if the other needs me, whenever, whatever it is. It is also a relationship that cannot be destroyed by any means but death. If someone is my friend, he will be my friend, even if he becomes selfish, an *******, crazy or whatever. He may change, but I won't.

(Language - Beirut)

[Justiciar]

I try not to get too close to most of my friends. I'll find a clique and hang on for dear life until I'm given the boot, without really getting too chumy with anyone. I've been seriously lucky in that, though. Occasionally someone will seek to become better friends with me despite of any distance I keep. Through that proccess I've gained a close group of friends who've stayed with me despite the fact that I'm a selfish arsehole that essentially neglects them. That's friendship tbh.

Gheyness.

[Avicenna]

Personally, I haven't had many experiences yet being still at school, but I agree with Quid in that it's probably only soldiers or people such as operatives and police who get to form such close relationships that you would willingly sacrifice yourself for him/her.

My closest friend doesn't have the kind of 'best friend' bond with me that some of you have described (willing to do anything). People at my age are probably still too childish for that. Lots of people I know are quite selfish, being spoilt by their parents. That probably doesn't help either.