Whats the difference between a friend and an associate?

In my eyes there is definitely a deeper or closer more personal level of relationship when you can consider a person a friend vs an associate. I have had more associates be more loyal but I think that all comes back to the less personal relationship you have with associates. Associates don't know you as well as friends do. They don't know your personality as well as friends do, how you'll react to a situation, what offends you and what doesn't... associates don't know much about each others' true natures. If you're a back-stabber, an associate probably doesn't know about it whereas a friend does so these two types of people in our lives would act differently in different situations which can lead to those types of situations where an associate might be the more trustworthy person vs the friend. I hope that makes sense :) I guess it would suffice to say friends are just more comfortable in the relationship than associates are.

An associate is the person whom you can trust when it comes to business. You've share common interest on a matter. But, a true friend, the person whom you can talk on the problems.

ok well a friend is a person hat u can talk t oand hang out with a associate is like a friends freind who u say hello to or start a brief 2 sentence conversation wit

A friend is the first person that I'd call if something major happened, like if I got pregnant or won the lottery or if my husband left me. A friend is someone that I could tell my deepest, darkest secrets to and know that not only would that secret be kept in confidence, but I also wouldn't be judged for whatever that secret is. A friend is someone that will be there for you both when you're on top of the world, but also when you're at your lowest. Everyone else is an associate--someone that you're still guarded around, that doesn't share your deepest confidences, and would probably abandon ship if you were sinking too low. I'm pretty selective with who gets to be considered a friend and has access to such a personal side of me. With very few exceptions, my instincts haven't been wrong and my friends have always been more loyal and trustworthy than my associates.

For me a friend is someone who I talk to on a daily basis. Someone who I do things with, help out, call, invite over or go over to their place. An associate is someone who I see when I am out at the store or resturant and we do the catching up thing next to the other person's table or in the parking lot. It is someone that you only talk to every now and then or whenever you happen to run into them someplace.

a friend is someone who knows you inside and out. an associate knows only little about you. but someone turn their back on you, hope that it will be an associate because they cant hurt you that much unlike a friend who could hurt you so much if they turn out to be a traitor.

dya know wot i too am not quite sure..abar the phrase friends or asscoiates? i wld,ve said friend or foe...lol...anyway ure friends r ment to be ya friends and ya asscoiates r like ure wrk mates even play mates it confussing me even...lol jdxx.:)