What specific things can people get out of friendships?

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Xardas
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03 Jun 2017, 5:36 am

What things can people get out of a friendship, apart from the friendship itself? Especially things that you can get only out of a friendship, and not out of anything else? Very generic things like "feeling good" don't count here, because almost everything what people do in life, they do to feel good (people generally prefer to feel good all the time, or most of the time). Feeling good is something people want to get in general, out of life - it is not anything specific to friendships.



arielhawksquill
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03 Jun 2017, 9:13 am

Enjoyable companionship. Free activity partners. People to call on to provide help in personal situations. Connection to networks of other friends which may provide romantic partners, job opportunities, etc.



Xardas
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03 Jun 2017, 9:53 am

arielhawksquill wrote:
Enjoyable companionship. Free activity partners. People to call on to provide help in personal situations. Connection to networks of other friends which may provide romantic partners, job opportunities, etc.


I agree, but I'm inclined to count these things as parts of "the friendship itself", and also I think that all of these things that you mentioned, you can get out of having colleagues as well (a colleague is less than a friend).

What can you get out of having close friends that you can't get out of having colleagues?



DataB4
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03 Jun 2017, 9:59 am

A deep, mutual understanding of each other. Good friends accept and enjoy each other's company, faults and all.



Xardas
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03 Jun 2017, 10:02 am

DataB4 wrote:
A deep, mutual understanding of each other. Good friends accept and enjoy each other's company, faults and all.


I agree. You nailed it.

Some people don't get it (they don't want to be understood, and they don't want to understand).



IstominFan
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03 Jun 2017, 12:02 pm

Interaction with people who share an interest, good conversation and new ideas that will help you improve yourself



SkeletorsButtcrack
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03 Jun 2017, 12:10 pm

I'd say the biggest thing for me, is the level of acceptance that a close friendship can offer. I'm a pretty bizarre person, and feel like I've had to train myself to function socially. It's amazing when I can finally take off the BS mask that I wear around most 'acquaintances' and be the socially inept dork that I truly am. I know that you discounted "feeling good" as an answer, but I think this goes a little beyond that- it's feeling like you truly have a place in the world, even if it's small and confined to the company of one other person. A true friend will care for you, give you genuine advice, and possibly put your needs above their own if you're in crisis.

Short answer- you gain the privilege of not feeling like a shipwrecked alien whenever you're with them.


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Xardas
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03 Jun 2017, 4:33 pm

IstominFan wrote:
Interaction with people who share an interest, good conversation and new ideas that will help you improve yourself


I agree, but this applies also to colleagues or acquaintances, not-so-close friends.

SkeletorsButtcrack wrote:
I'd say the biggest thing for me, is the level of acceptance that a close friendship can offer. I'm a pretty bizarre person, and feel like I've had to train myself to function socially. It's amazing when I can finally take off the BS mask that I wear around most 'acquaintances' and be the socially inept dork that I truly am. I know that you discounted "feeling good" as an answer, but I think this goes a little beyond that- it's feeling like you truly have a place in the world, even if it's small and confined to the company of one other person. A true friend will care for you, give you genuine advice, and possibly put your needs above their own if you're in crisis.

Short answer- you gain the privilege of not feeling like a shipwrecked alien whenever you're with them.


I like this answer very much, I fully agree. DataB4 also wrote something similar.