At some point in life, you’re going to make friends. When you’re young, it’s much easier to make friends, because you’re surrounded by kids in school and neighborhood your age with similar interests. As you grow older, life gets very busy, like getting a job, relocating, becoming a parent, and the number of people with similar interests around you decreases. Plus, close friendships get harder to maintain. 

But have you ever thought about why we make friends? Or do we really need friends? Couldn’t we get along just fine by ourselves? Sure, it can be nice to enjoy some alone time without anyone else around, but before long, we crave the company of other people. For most of us, being alone gets lonely and boring after a while. For better or worse, we need all kinds of friends to keep us from falling into depression. It just boils down to understanding the different types of friends and knowing they are ALL important. Here’s a few:

ACQUAINTANCES | An acquaintance is someone you know but don’t have a close connection with and can chat about general topics and work stuff. It can be a neighbor, classmate, or coworker.

CASUAL FRIENDS | A casual friend is a closer connection with someone, you share some details of your life with them, but don’t get too personal. You share a common situation, like working in the same job or going to the same classes.

CLOSE FRIENDS | A close friend is someone you trust and can rely on. Someone who you share a lot in common with. You can share anything with this person and feel completely comfortable in their presence. Close friends don’t judge but understands you and are always there in difficult times.

BEST FRIENDS | A best friend gets the highest spot compared to a close friend. They’re the person you share everything with, and who is always there to support. They have a deeper understanding and know almost everything about you and are genuine and trustworthy. Even in difficult situations, best friends are always there and would literally do anything to make things better. This is why best friends are like family to you. They accept you for who you are and respect you. The love is unconditional and can be considered as an invaluable bond.

Yeah, there are different levels of friends, and we need ALL of them. But what really matters aren’t the number of friends you have, but having really good friends who will support you. So, don’t be sad if you have a small circle and rarely meet new people. Just one close friend is worth a dozen casual friends.