# Definition of friendship

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definition-of-friendship/289616>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [February 11, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definition-of-friendship/289616 "2005-02-11T17:39:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![AmericanMaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@AmericanMaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmericanMaid)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definition-of-friendship/289616/1 "2005-02-11T17:39:17Z")

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I’ve been thinking lately about the evolution of the definition of friendship.

**At age 5 a friend was:**

- someone who had cool toys (Miliennium Falcon/white outfit Leia action figure…)
- someone to play tag with
- someone to show off to/ dare

\*\* At age 12:\*\*

- someone who would let me sit at their table during lunch
- someone who didn’t tease me
- someone who I could confide in

**At age 18** :

- someone who got my odd sense of humor
- someone to drive around aimlessly with
- someone who would do extremely idiotic fun things with

**At age 24** :

- someone who could commiserate with me over the Real World
- someone to go drinking with
- someone who could go to a movie with me

**At age 28** :

- someone who keeps in touch
- someone who supports me during a time of need
- someone who can make time for me

How about other people? Has your personal definitions of friendship changed or does it basically boil down to me likey, me friend?

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**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definition-of-friendship/289616/2 "2005-02-11T17:46:20Z")

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All of the above and…

Someone who tells me things I need to hear, not just things I want to hear.

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**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definition-of-friendship/289616/3 "2005-02-11T17:53:25Z")

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All of the above, absolutely. Also, someone who makes me feel sane, even though I know they’re as crazy as me.

And I’ve always thought that the true definition of a real friend is someone who laughs _before_ they ask you if you’re alright when you fall down in public. 🙂