Newbie with a query

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Well, I'm very very new here, and I think I should probably preface this little question of mine by mentioning that I've not been diagnosed with anything, ever, and remain up in the air on the possibility of whether I belong at this community or not.

Having said that, I would still like to take advantage of the opportunity, while I remain here, to avail myself of the combined knowledge and experience of the good folks here, so I hope that someone will bear with an ignorant n00b and maybe be able to answer my question.

Very simply, I'd like someone to define for me what a "friend" actually is, as opposed to an acquaintance. A little background: when I was a small child, and throughout elementary school, I was able to keep a good close friendship with one other person--first one at a very early age, then another when she left--but after elementary school I was fully out of my depth. I was unable to grasp and much less master the increasingly complex nature of social interactions the surrounded me throughout junior high and high school. That, coupled with my tendency to be by myself and happier in isolating, loner-type activities, being picked on (which is a totally natural response of other people to someone they perceive to be different), being unwilling to spend time in sensory-overloading-type environments involving large groups of people, and a tendency to work on pet projects (like studying Japanese or Swahili) instead of getting out and forming relationships with people or dating, means that after elementary school I missed out on learning how to socially interact with people, learning the mechanisms and behaviors necessary for such an action. Actually I find that I get on very well with the nursery-school and elementary-level kids I interact with in my job, and find their thought processes easier to predict and understand than adults, requiring much less effort in our interactions on my part.

Now I'm almost into my third decade, and I realize I don't know exactly what it would even mean to have a friend in RL, since I'm not clear what that role actually means. Is it only hanging out with someone? But what does it mean specifically? At what point do you cross the line from someone being an acquaintance to their becoming a friend?

I'm looking for something concrete here. I have a pretty clear idea of the amorphous value of "friendship", but what I want more of is an idea of the specific mechanisms that allow a person to operate in an intimate way in the company of another. Maybe not because I intend to rush out and try to form a social circle or anything--I've adopted a very laid-back attitude wherein I can be grateful for those who are around without worrying about interacting with them in a post-work, social way--but just because it's such an alien sphere of existence to me, yet one in which a large portion of the human race seems to be able to move with mind-bending ease, in such a natural way.

Can anyone enumerate, say, five major points that they would say can be used as criteria to classify a relationship as being a friendship, as opposed to an acquaintanceship? I'd be most grateful.

I probably shouldn't be answering this because I'm lacking in this department, but I think a friend is:
Someone you can talk to while being yourself
Someone you actually ENJOY being around (I don't enjoy being around most people)
Someone who enjoys being around you
Someone who can be themselves around you.

That seems to be at the crux of it--the need to be able to relax (as someone said to me elsewhere) and above all to be yourself. Which is probably what makes it all so hard.

I'm curious what it means to enjoy being around someone though--there are different ways to enjoy spending time with people, but not all of them are those which I'd necessarily classify as being in a friend-like way...for example, some people are very funny and it's enjoyable to hear them tell jokes, but they might be bastards in their day-to-day life and I would like nothing less than to be far far away in those moments. Hmmm.

More data required! XD Thanks much.

Hmm...Maybe you enjoy being around them for long periods of time?

Very possibly. I always try to narrow down and specify as much as possible any definition--it helps in trying to create a solution if the problem is defined as specifically as possible. So yeah, in this case enjoyment could mean, oh, being able to appreciate the presence of another person as something which contributes to a sense of positive emotions--they make you laugh, make you smile, allow you to be comfortable being yourself. I'll think about it some more but the "positive emotions" qualifier probably will help to narrow the definition. Length of time too. There are some people I like who are completely exhausting to be around...I can't spend time with them for that reason, so it's unlikely a real friendship could ever develop beyond a nascent stage.

I talk too much, I know. Sorry.

Friends are people who listen to you and that.

My best friends are people who I can relate to. They understand me and my ways. They are even closer to my personality type then others.

Friends are people you look forward to seeing. You can enjoy spending time with them doing an activity (maybe you all play hockey - its nice to hang out with those people but you arent discussing life). Maybe you enjoy talking to them about an interest (I enjoy my debates in regards to rights, governments, etc. with another friend).

All my friends have strengths. What one friend MAY have another MAY NOT have. That doesn't mean any less, it means no one is perfect.

A friend calls you as much as you call them. They talk to you, they don't ignore you, they help you. As I'm writing this, I'm classifying my friendship with various people. I'm actually seeing some as not so friendly and others as more.

Friendship is trust and honesty. We cannot always see ourselves and how we are in the world. A friend will help you understand your problems and as a friend, you should except their honesty. The opposite would be a friend who lies

It sounds complicated, but at least this answers a question for me--it's tough to have close relationships with people when you're uncomfortable being yourself around them.

Hmm.

Thanks for taking the time to help me out. This gives me some food for thought--or slow digestion, any way.

uh..........

well.

lesse here.

a friend should be someone who has your back in any situation.
a friend should be someone who knows you as well as you know yourself if not better.