Thursday, August 20, 2009

Something to Ponder...or not...

...I don't know why this question came to mind and it's not directly related to travel, but...

When is an acquaintance no longer an acquaintance, but a friend?


I feel whatever criteria I subconsciously used before to make such distinctions have only become blurred as I've grown older, or maybe it's a part of living the expat lifestyle where everything is transient....?

Would be interested to hear people's thoughts on this....

2 comments:

Cecilia said...

Interesting question!

I know what you mean! Did you notice that it's actually even 'worse' when traveling? I met LOTS of people who talk about their "friends", and it's usually someone they talked with for 10 minutes on a minibus and added in Facebook *new friend: check*. That's the definition of a "travel friend".

Personally, I would define a friend as someone I can share intimate or special things with, whether it's insightful conversations or some personal experience. Sometimes, it can be someone in similar circumstances and with a similar mindset, so you understand each other right away, 'it clicks'.

Anonymous said...

Interesting question indeed! As is the reverse...when is a friend, no longer a friend, but only an acquaintance?

I think we all decide the answers to both for ourselves :) Not sure that I personally feel there is a "rule of thumb" to follow. It's more about what is in your heart for that other person...how you feel when you see or talk to them again - perhaps after a long period of time...