Few close friends or many acquaintances?

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If you had to choose between those two, or no friends. Explain any further details of your arrangement if you want.

I guess I'll say a few close friends. There's no doubt in my mind that I need people that I am close to in order to stay sane - and that's what I've got with family I guess. I have plenty of acquaintances, but nobody I'd actually be able to call a friend.

If it weren't for family, I would absolutely need other people that I am close to, but I don't particularly like visiting people or anything like that. What's a person to do...

I'd rather have a few close friends. I've had many acquaintances 15 years ago and I think it's better just to have a few close friends.

I'd pick A Few Close Friends. It's nice to have people I can talk to about stuff sometimes & do stuff with 1ce in a while. Plus I feel more comfortable with friends than acquaintances.

It's been better for me in the past when I had a couple of close friends or when I was married. Then there's someone who understands me and who I can go places and do things with, which helps me deal with awkwardness and overwhelm in social situations, for example. And I can talk through challenges I have and figure out what I really want to do. With more casual acquaintances they often don't really understand autism and will try to "correct" me about areas in which I'm just different from others. I'm single and haven't had any close friends for years, but I know quite a few folks casually through my church - it's good to talk with them, sometimes go out to breakfast or coffee with them, but it's still rather at arm's-length. Also, it's almost impossible for me to ask people for help, but when I truly need help, it's easier to approach a close friend than an acquaintance. I wish I could learn to be myself around people - I always try so hard to act normal. It's easier to let my guard down with close friends than casual acquaintances.

In primary school, it was probably the former for me, whereas in secondary school it was the latter. Those weren't what I chose as such, just how they turned out to be.

Quality definitely more important than quantity.
One or two, close, mutual confiding.
Wider circle around common activities ( work, club/ society, place of worship etc) moderate number,look for compatible senses of humour.

I have both.
The former's mostly personal and emotional stuff. Where I could go crazy and not be judged, and of course the bond themselves.
The latter, depending on my luck, is in terms of practicality. Whereas if I do well, who knows how much of an ally this person may turn out to be. They're also what makes up of the networking connections.
Yet I treated myself like I have neither.


Honestly? I can live without the former more than I can live without the latter in the so-called 'real world'. I don't have to rely much on someone when if comes to emotional stuff. I could just dial some phone's hotline and talk there if it comes to it. Or go anonymously on some online site and rant there. No one in real life had to know me.
In the more ideal world, I'd only end up with the former and not needing the latter. Or, live without either and just let either ways to happen.

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Unquestionably I would choose a few close friends over mainly acquaintances.

I was surprised what a large preference there was in this poll for "a few close friends" (88% at the time I answered it), but it makes sense. That was my vote, too.

In reality though, I'd say I have a few acquaintances and no close friends. I feel myself drifting away from anything that could be called a close friendship. Part of it is due to declining health in myself and my husband. I'm reluctant to get together with people because my husband's dementia is becoming awkward. I admit it, at times I'm ashamed of him. We were at a lunch in the senior center last week, he became animated in conversation but the problem was his mouth was full of food at the time. Later I mentioned it to him as delicately as possible, but that doesn't mean he will remember, next time. That is merely one example.

I have a couple of somewhat "close" friends.

I have a good amount of acquaintances because I work two jobs.

I don't do superficial friendships. It's sink or swim for me, but all I need is one close friend.

I have no friends and it suits me fine.

Everyone you've met once is an acquaintance, that's all it takes. Finding close friends requires quite a bit of work & luck, but it's also a much more valuable relationship. So what do you want, 2 bags of pennies or half a bag of gold?

I voted for "a few close friends". But in reality I don't have any friends. I think it would be nice to have someone to talk to sometimes, but I don't know if I would be able to handle all the stuff you have to think of and do to maintain a friendship. My experience with others is that they expect so much of me, and I can never live up to their expectation. I'm not good at maintaining relationships. But hey, I have my dog!