This is something that concerns me more than before now that I got in my 30's. I don't have any real friend. Sure, I do have my colleagues @ work, we go out and do a beer or a football game once ina while, but... what I miss is true friendship, like in the movies. Selfless, honest and sustained over a long period, in person not in the virtual www universe. Do you have a true friend, other than family or spouse, that has proved his/her loyalty in real life situations? One that would risk his/her life or well being to help you, one that would do good things for you without expecting your gratitude or returning the favor?

On a related topic, do you believe in strong, durable friendships started at older age? I look around and all the healthy, reliable friendships I can see at others are pretty old relationships, started in elementary school, highschool, college... it's quite depressing because I haven't been so social when I was a kid and now it seems too late to become someone's "best" friend since they have older friends with a lot of common history.

Well, my group of friends is pretty close, despite everyone starting to move on and do their own thing. We still all see each other as much as we can. After some of the things my group has gone through I think it's safe to assume they will have my back no matter what.

Sure, it's possible to make a "true" friendship at any age. You just have to meet the right person and make an effort.

Friendship is Magic...There I said it .

It depends on who you have as friends, there are some who make the greatest friends and those are the one who stick by you through thick and thin---then there are others who are only your friend when you pay their tab so to speak and leave you high and dry when you need them. So really it depends on who you have as friends, some are good, some not so much.

Besides my girlfriend, I have one true friend that I wouldn't trade for anything. Certainly there are true friends, the matter of finding the decent ones is another story entirely. I've had two other people in my life that I believed to be true friends, but they ended up being the opposite. They also turned to drugs and all that, something I wish I could deter, but there isn't much I can do now..

Anyway, yes there are, but they can be the most difficult thing to find.

You're not alone. Well I may be almost half your age but anyway my interest in getting closer to basically anybody my age is zero. There is a lot of superficiality governing today's social behaviour, theres a big gap between displayed courtesy and real intentions... and for now I just refuse to comply, my needs are pretty much covered by family and virtual world. However I would love to have a true friend and I hope I'll know when I see one.

So it's not a true friend unless that friend does something like this?

Either way, yes, I do believe in friendship,all of those things has happened for me, where they've showed loyalty, risked their wellbeing to help me or prevent me from being hurt and do things without asking for anything in return. I've done the same for them.
Sadly because of how antisocial I've grown from a variety of reasons we've really glided apart from one another.
Still, if I am to get out of my rut and be social again our friendship flame wout ignite like *snaps fingers* that.
That has also happened before. So I know that if I ever need them then they will be there for me.

So yes, I do believe in friendship, even though I don't think a friend needs to show those things you listed in this quote in order to be a "true friend".
As to when I get older, who knows, I'll likely die before I hit my 30's so I don't care.

I'm not really sure.

What is the definition of true friendship anyway?

Of course , we do all have basic "friends" who we talk to every so often (maybe even every day) and share our feelings with, and tell secrets to. But does that define a true friend? Someone who can keep a secret and listen to you and vice versa?

The truest test, I think, is annoyance. Just think about it. Have you ever just felt like "Ugh, shut up" or "You're so stupid" or condescended the words of someone else in your head as they spoke? Like as they talk about their favorite sport, you just think "You're not even good at this" or "You're such a liar. All in your head, thinking these things. Like I said, think about this. Whether or not you do this to your "friends". Does that make YOU a true friend? To contradict them in your head, call them names in your head, smile at them in person and share genuine laughs in person? I do this.

It's not that I'm "fake" or pretending to be their friend because I am definitely fond of the people I call my friends. They make me smile, I make them smile, we hang out, we talk, we laugh, etc. All genuine, not "fake" like in the movies where people put on fake smiles. But then there are times where I am very annoyed by them and contradict their words in my head. Or think of how stupid they sound, and in real life I won't say a thing because a friend wouldn't say those things.

If I do this, can count on the fact that other people do this as well. Does that make them true friends? Is this a true friendship?
______________

Anyway, I'm rambling. Basically, what I'm trying to say is, if we hate our genuine friends at times, does that make us true friends, or just friends? Is a "friend" someone you don't feel the need to contradict in your head? I do this with almost everyone except for one person. I consider them a true friend.

Idk, I'm confused.

Friendship is something that can transcend species, gender, age, and boundaries, with the most unlikely of things bringing people together to become friends. Joined a skype group, so i've expanded my list of friends right now. Sadly, there is a downside to online friends since it is rather difficult to physically interact with them, unless you go and visit them where they live. Find myself rather disheartened because a friend that i've known from HS may have to move away. It does trouble me a bit since i'll feel isolated and lonely even though we will still be friends and I have my online skype friends to chat with.

Just par for the course I guess in that "thing" people call life.

Not really. I don't have any long term friendships like from childhood or school, and I no longer talk to the only true friend I've had. I just avoid getting too close with people now, it's much easier that way.

No. I believe in mutually-beneficial relationships, all of which have their time and place to end.

My best friend and I have shared a lot of hatred toward eachother I think it's only made us better friends.

anyway.. yes true friendship is possible

Yes. Friendship is quite powerful... Maybe not as powerful as True Love or Strong Vengeance but still quite powerful and can do many wonders... Also, the best possible example I can think about right now would be that Christmas movie with the whole Angel thing. (When a bell rings, an Angel gets his wings?) The ending of that movie is a grand example of true and powerful friendship that I wish was extremely common rather than extremely rare these days.

Sadly, a few of my closest friends are dead. They died to young.

I have 2 really close friends, 4 including their 2 kids. The kids have known me their entire lives. I'd do anything for them and they me. They are my family pretty much. I lived with them for years.

I have a few people who are not as close, and I met via business relations first that I consider friends. Though we do not associate outside of that business relationship, I know they care about me and me them.

I do believe in friendship, because I am a fiercely loyal friend to those closest to me. If I didn't believe, I wouldn't/couldn't give a s*** about anyone. Who wants to live like that?

I have many good friends, but one particular friend who's like a brother to me. We've been through a lot, and I'd trust him with my life. It means a lot to me to have that one person that you trust that much.

Friendship isn't something you can force. If you go out looking for friends then chances are you'll be disappointed, it'll just happen. I'm an extrovert and love meeting people, talking and being with people, so I find making friends quite easy. I know a lot of people don't feel that way however.

To me friendship is a moment in time, when you share a deep understanding of another person. It can go alongside love (as love has many definitions), and should be cherished while it lasts as nothing lasts forever.

Yes I definitely do.

I still have my best friend from when we were 15. We're both 25 now.

We knew each other since kindergarten, but only ever begun to be friends at the age of 15. We've been through quite a lot of [censored] together and on our own. He's going through a divorce right now which is mostly attributed to me, since I actively attempted to cause it to happen.

We don't really hang out much at the moment, since I'm going to college and he's working all the time, and we've always had our differences. I've never been a slave to six, drugs or booze and he has always been dependent on a mix of those.

I don't really know what to say about it though. I mean, I would just as easily take a bullet for this man as I would get in a bar fight with him over something mundane. It is what it is.

At the moment, I don't really give a damn about making new friends. I don't really respect people enough at the moment to give them that much consideration.

My brother has been my other best friend for the past 10 years as well. Both are equally loved and loving and both are equally stupid and disappointing.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

I have 3-4 people I consider true friend s. time and space have been proven to h e no meaning to our friendship. We spent years apart and picked right back up where we left off. We have gone hundreds of miles out of our way to help each other with not a second thought, just get up an go.


The thing about friendship, its a two way street.

I made a lot of friends in school, but only a few of them ended up being my friends after. Life takes everyone in a separate path, and in my opinion, friends are those who stay with you even when your paths diverge.

Friendship is [censored] in the end, everyones number one concern should be their own wellbeing. Getting tied up in relationships where you feel like you have to help some [censored] just because you've known them for a long ass time is stupid, and not worth the emotional pain. Look out for number 1 first, then concern yourself with others around you, but don't expect anything from them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDYNuD4CwlI

To late .

I've had many friends in my life, some of them people who were better friends to me than I ever was to them, I don't blame them that we don't hang out these days as much as I blame myself. But now I also have a large group of friends that started out with 2 guys I met in my college. We've known each other for only just about two years and a half now, so I don't know what claims I can make about a long lasting friendship, but they've truly shown that they will go that extra mile to have me around even when I in my grouch like nature would only like to be left alone.

I was always the kind of kid that never had but a select few people who would come to his birthday so I always just skipped holding my birthday at all as it was just too much of a hassle to hold one only to celebrate with one or two people, and as I've grown older I've kept on celebrating my birthdays by myself out of tradition. So when on my last birthday (20th birthday) I had told my current friends that I wasn't really looking to be celebrating my birthday and that I'd just be spending the day on relaxation and on myself, I was pretty choked up (even if I didn't show it much ) when those two friends came to visit on my birthday and dragged me out to go do things and to spend the day with friends.

They're pretty good people and if I myself can learn to be a better friend myself from their example I think there will never come a time period where we just stop seeing each other.

I believe in it, but I'm a bit of a loner so that's always going to reflect on any friendships I've had. Before I started working where I do, I didn't really have any friends. I've gained two since then though. Both I'd consider my best friends. We don't really hang out a lot because as I said, I'm a bit of a loner so that tends to show. But I do trust the two of them and would tell them anything as well as do just about anything for the both of them. Though I'm not as good on the latter part.

Yes but not from personal experience; I've seen people be true and selfless friends to others but I've never really had a relationship like that with a person. My friends at school are just that; guys I chat with and have a cig with but it's nothing deep, not even to the point of seeing them after school. This may be because I'm not friendly enough... I dunno but I don't really desire it either; it's nice and all but I'm fine without it. For the record, I think having one really good, lifelong friend is enough, you don't need two of those.

The one person I consider my true, close friend and companion also happens to be the one I love so that doesn't meet your criteria.