Difference Between Acquaintance and Friend
Acquaintance vs. Friend
Supposedly, telling the difference between a friend and an acquaintance is quite easy. However, there are still many individuals who easily get fooled by others that make them believe they are their real friends, when in fact they aren’t. To prevent this, there are actually some hints that will guide you in discerning a friend from an acquaintance.
Foremost, you can gauge the level of your relationship with someone in terms of the depth of your interactions. Acquaintances are those people who, even if you see them everyday, like those who work in the same place as you do, talk superficially with you. A friend, on the other hand, is someone who shares a deeper level of interaction or communication. Deep communication doesn’t imply frequent. In fact, the truest of friends are those who, despite distance, still manage to catch up with each other once in a while and talk as if time has not passed by.
Secondly, a friend and an acquaintance have different levels of support for your interests. The former would most likely support you no matter what your endeavors are, whereas the latter will just hang out with you whenever you have the same interests as them. For example, if you are a painter, and you happen to open your own art gallery, you can spot your friends because they are also happy when you are happy; even if they aren’t fond of visual arts. Oftentimes, those who only like you because you paint well are merely plain acquaintances.
Thirdly, with regard to the provision of favors, a friend is someone who either asks for one, or gives favors. He may contact you because he needs you for something, or ask you about your problems so that he may be able to assist you. Acquaintances are those who ask one-sided favors from you, and nothing else. They are the ones who want to benefit the most from your relationship.
Lastly, an acquaintance or a friend can be identified in terms of physical presence. However, this does not mean that whoever is seen to be more physically present with you is already a friend. Sometimes, people happen to be there by chance when you’re also there. Most likely, these people are just your acquaintances. True friends are those who really spend time with you, like having a long one-on-one talk with you some place else, or simply visiting each other’s homes and acting as if they actually own your house.
1. Friends are those with whom you share a deeper level of interaction.
2. Friends have all out support for your interests and happiness, unlike acquaintances.
3. Friends don’t do one-sided favors, unlike acquaintances.
4. Friends like to hang out with you at a much personal level, even at your own home.
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Just to thank you for your words.
Very much appreciated.
One can tell IF they have a friend or not, when your life goes upside down and inside out. When the going gets really bad, see who sticks around to help, If your car breaks down who comes and helps you. With me it is zero. I have Acquaintances not friends. When my life goes like I mentioned above no one comes to help, they want me to lose it all, and live on the streets. When I need help NO one shows up. I have learned not to rely on people. Rely on God. I am I feel well hated. I do not measure up to there standards. The college degree, the big job, the house, I rent, and more. Oh, and when one gets classified as a Church friend, a work friend. Oh that makes me laugh. Out side the place they will not even speak, to me. Inside the place they do. They are no friend of mine. The only friend I have is God. That is it. He is always with me. and helps me. People to me are useless.
I agree with you 100%…The same goes about family…When days are dark, you’re on your own…Friends and family are just a waste of time…They stab you in the back,then they still say I love you…Best to trust no one but yourself!!!!
It is easy to feel that you have no genuine friends or that family members do little to support you. But keep in mind that to have friends you must first be a friend to others. Don’t dwell on what you are getting out of a relationship. Be of service to others and have a generous spirit giving of yourself. Soon enough you will find who are true friends and which of your acquaintances want no more than that.
That’s good advice for me, but if I do that then I would just be putting on a mask.
This is good advice and it is true that you need to be a friend if you expect people to drop what they are doing to help you. You need to be willing to do the same. If you feel you are putting on a mask then perhaps they are not the right types of friends for you or you need to be a friend to yourself first in order to truly be able to be a friend to someone else.
All friendships start off as acqcuaintanceships. Some develop into friendships, but not all.
I had an acquaintance develop into a friendship last year, maybe a friendship for life.
If you have just met someone and have not known them very long would you say that person is a friend or acquaintance? I try to teach my grandkids the difference but would like some advice because of some school teachings of today.