Can work pals ever be real friends?

Actually, I believe that work pals can be real friends, and I also believe that it happens all the time. Friendship is all about compatibility, and in my opinion it's also all about attraction. When you think about it, the opposite of attraction is repulsion, so it stands to reason that you are attracted to all of your friends, because if you were repulsed by them, you would never have spoken to them in the first place! If you look at it that way, it would be more foolish to not be friends with your coworkers. However, a "true" friendship does take something more than just attraction or compatible personalities. It takes trust. Most people spend more of their lives with coworkers than with their own families, and in more cooperative companies, often your coworker's performance can affect your longevity at a job. Trust would have to be there almost by default. The important thing, of course, is not to let that relationship affect the way you work together. The second somebody feels pressure to agree with someone because they're a friend and not because they have a valid point, the friends need to back off and refocus on their jobs. All in all, you really can't eliminate work as a place to find a friend (or a lover, for that matter). If it's handled maturely and with some caution, there is absolutely no reason that a long, healthy, lasting friendship can't emerge from the office.