What is a friend? Seriously

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I am almost 50 yrs old, and throughout my life I thought I was being friendly and people were my friends only to find out I was mistaken. I am unsure what it means to be a friend. I feel I must be doing it wrong or have the wrong idea of what a friend is in reality. People will say they are my friends but they get uncomfortable if I share my feelings about things, or they snap at me because I say something too them at the wrong time or won't stop arguing with them on a point etc etc etc. The people who I thought were friends will exclude me from their activities after a while till I get the hint after a rather long time to go away. One person I figured it out after I found out they got married 2 months before and didn't even bother to tell me. So does anyone know what a real friend is? How can you tell if you have one?

I honestly don’t know. In this department my brain does not understand a thing. When i was 12 my mom got me a book called ‘How to Make Friends.’ I read it and tried to put it in practice but it never worked. I think The friends I have had are by chance and luck however by circumstances I don’t live near any of them anymore so I don’t know.

I am always v formal with ppl so I guess I was not made for friends the way it is with normal ppl.

Maybe ppl who sincerely care enough to check up on you from time to time and visit can be called friends. ? Do you have someone like this? Also I think there is no shame in calling cousins or siblings friends if they function as such.

I believe 'friends' is just a term most of the time, like the 'I love you' term.
I have met many 'friends' in my lifetime, and only one of them has stuck by me and I by him. We have known each other for 25 years and I know that we will spend the next 25 years together.