How Many Friends Do You Have?
By Amanda
@mommyzhuuraan (217)
United Kingdom
August 5, 2018 3:11am CST
Okay first let me say I don't mean myLot friends. I mean actual friends. How many people do you have that you count as true friends, people you can count on, confide in, console, etc.
For me, people are basically sorted into 4 circles, each larger than the last.
Circle #1: Close friends that are almost like family, those I can trust, confide in, talk to about anything, be there for and are there for me, would do anything for. This group is quite small, but extremely close. I do not trust anyone easily largely due to a number of things that have happened in my childhood and young adult life, so the few that make it into this circle are treasured like no other. These people would probably say that I am also one of their closest friends and they trust me with their lives, as I do them.
Circle #2: More than just an acquaintance, but not a close, trusted friend. People I'll hang out with, talk to about things in a more limited capacity, want to get to know better but still keep at arm's length, or have reason to regard with caution, but still like. These are people I'll try to help if I can, enjoy spending time with, but usually don't see often, and wouldn't tell my deepest darkest secrets to or trust with my life.
Circle #3: Acquaintances. I will talk to these people, see them on occasion, but don't really know them enough to trust them or not. I'll be friendly, but cautious, and I wouldn't bend over backwards for these people as I would for a friend.
Circle #4: Strangers. Okay, this one isn't as self explanatory as you might think. Of course it includes people I don't know at all, as with anyone, but it also includes people who have done something to lose my trust, cause me to dislike them, or cause me to question if I ever really knew them to begin with. I have some former friends in this group, ones who have done something so drastic that they have lost their former status, ones who have done something so aggregious that I can almost trust a true stranger more.
So in circle one I can probably count the number of people on my hands. Circle two is larger, but might include my hands and feet, maybe a little more but not much. Circle 3 is considerably larger. I have a lot of people that I am aware of and talk to from time to time, but don't really know much about, and circle 4 of course includes the rest. I'm also not including people I've never met in circle 4, as that goes without saying. Circle 4 is just people who've either lost their status or that I've only met once or twice and haven't gotten to know well enough to raise them to a higher circle. In that case I'd say circles 3 and 4 are near the same size.
Okay so I know that sounds pretty complicated, and I don't typically group my friends like that in my mind, that is to say I don't say Friend one is in circle 2, friend 2 is in circle 3, friend 3 is in circle 1, etc, but that is just an illustration of how they fall anyway.
So how many truly close friends do you have, ones you would put into my Circle 1? If you want to elaborate and say how you'd class them or what it takes to fit into each category, go for it.
7 people like this
11 responses
@yoalldudes (35037)
• Philippines
5 Aug 18
My friend I get to talk only on Skype who I met on speaking24.com was more helpful to me than "actual" friends I grew up with. He gave me advice that helped me heal from illnesses, advice on finance that helped me cope with financial struggle. So for now that I dont have friends to go out with, I'm glad I have online friends.
5 people like this
@mommyzhuuraan (217)
• United Kingdom
5 Aug 18
Yeah, some people would disagree but I think sometimes online friends can be as valuable as in person ones, and you can meet people from all over the world. My husband and I grew up 5000 miles apart.
3 people like this
@Shivram59 (36360)
• India
5 Aug 18
@mommyzhuuraan I have just two or three close friends, many not-so-close friends and a lot of just acquaintances.
2 people like this
@Shivram59 (36360)
• India
5 Aug 18
@yoalldudes Twould of my close friends have left the town to settle elsewhere for family purposes.But, but we are still in contact with each other.
@yoalldudes (35037)
• Philippines
5 Aug 18
consider yourself lucky. I'm still hoping to find those friends I can hang out with and kindred souls to make life journey more fun
1 person likes this
@m_audrey6788 (58472)
• Germany
5 Aug 18
I only have little friends to be considered close to me but it doesn`t mean that I don`t have other friends..I`m a friendly person and if someone who try to be then I can be a friend.
2 people like this
@mommyzhuuraan (217)
• United Kingdom
5 Aug 18
I see you are from Germany. I have a couple of friends from there, ones I'd probably call circle 2, but they're pretty friendly and I definitely want to get to know them more. I visited Germany back in June, Nürnberg. My family definitely wants to go back.
1 person likes this
@mommyzhuuraan (217)
• United Kingdom
5 Aug 18
Most everyone on myLot is circle 4 because I've only been here a couple days, and I don't know any well enough to be in circle one yet, but they might work their way up.
2 people like this
@iniaku (2157)
• Indonesia
5 Aug 18
circle 1 : i have 2 my best friends
circle 2: i have a lot, uni's friends, high school mate, work mate,
circle 3: travelling group mate, because i didnt see them often, so i'm not really know the personality each of them
circle 4: i usually not reallt think this kind of people, if i am dislike them, why should i remember or concern about them
2 people like this
@JamilahPH (105)
• Brunei Darussalam
5 Aug 18
I have many work friends that would fall in Circle 2, and not many close friends...... Have few friends since childhood, up thru teen years, up thru adult life.... who are still close to me until today. Hopefully, we could keep the circle of friendship thru old age...
2 people like this
@mommyzhuuraan (217)
• United Kingdom
5 Aug 18
Unfortunately I haven't talked to high school friends as much as I used to, mostly because we've all got insanely busy lives and all, but we do stay in touch and it'd be cool to get back together with them all sometime.
@Mike197602 (15512)
• United Kingdom
5 Aug 18
Close friends at the moment I'd have to say 0.
That's because I made some life changes and dumped everyone.
Potential close friends I'd say 5 or so if I got back in contact.
I have maybe 3 casual friends and then family.
On facebook I have 33 friends in totalso not the many hundreds some have.
1 person likes this
@mommyzhuuraan (217)
• United Kingdom
5 Aug 18
Yep I don't have many friends on Facebook and almost all of them I know in person, not just met once or twice but know well. I generally don't add people to Facebook unless I know them fairly well as that's kind of the platform for the people I know I want to stay in touch with.
1 person likes this
@mommyzhuuraan (217)
• United Kingdom
5 Aug 18
Well the important thing is to have a couple of people that are close, like family, and as long as you have that, you've got gold.
@chicnthin (3031)
• Philippines
5 Aug 18
Circle # 2 is much more than #1 which are very few.
2 people like this
@ihasaquestion (8275)
•
5 Aug 18
I have had a few bffs years before but they are now with children and husbands, so we kinda lost touch.
@freelancermariagrace (28588)
• Philippines
5 Aug 18
I don't have many friends and it's totally fine with me. What matters most is friends who will never leave your side no matter what the situation is. I think I only have two close friends, and they've been my confidante ever since.
1 person likes this
@mommyzhuuraan (217)
• United Kingdom
5 Aug 18
Exactly my point. The majority of us only have a few truly close friends, and that should be fine. Some people try to count friends like it's a competition, but as long as you have people who care about you and you care about, that's what matters. Life is not a competition.