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Differences Between Friends & Acquaintances

Is there a difference between friends and acquaintances? I am curious as to what your difference of friend and acquaintance is. I would like to know what is a 'friend' and what is an 'acquaintance' in your eyes.

I have my thoughts on this, but I will wait to see what others think before I post mine.

Acquaintances and Friends Differences

To me there is a big difference.

Friends are the kind of people that will not let you down, they are loyal and will back you up. Most of all, they are there when you are down to lend support and give comfort. Of course friends usually have like interests and hobbies, but not always. Therefore you may have friends that you do not know about

Associates or acquaintances are just people that you may meet on a daily basis, but they are not 'genuinely' interested in your welfare. They may say, 'Good Morning, how are you?', but this is not an invitation to be personal, it is more out of necessity to be cordial and/or mannered. Associates will refuse more personable relationships and will often distance themselves if you try to get close.

In my experience you never should 'ask' for friends, you will know them when you are down.

Differences Between Friends & Acquaintances Health & Special Psychology

I agree with JB. There is a huge difference between being friends and acquaintances. Sometimes we will use the term "friend" when referring to an "acquaintance" because it is simpler, but in reality there is a very big difference. To me it is a matter of degrees. I may refer to the people I know from work and am friendly with as friends, but I think if my only association with them is through and at work, then they are not really friends but much more likely acquaintances.

My friends are people I know well and who know me well and still we get along. They like me for who I really am, not for the business appearance or politically correct stance I show publicly. They are the ones to whom I turn when I am in need and they are there for me, even if just to offer a shoulder to cry upon. Friends are people who really care about you. They are the ones like JB was saying, who when they ask you how you are, really are interested in the true answer to that question.

Edited: tenaheff on 9th Jan, 2004 - 4:04pm

Acquaintances and Friends Differences

deffinetly a difference. A friend is someone that you spend a lot of time with, someone you talk on the phone with and have come over to your place and you go to thiers. An acquaintance is more a person that you've seen around, talked to once or twice, know a bit about but you don't hang with them. It's kinda a fine line really.

Acquaintances and Friends Differences

There are people who you can talk every day on the phone, go by their homes and stuff and they're not friends and you know they're not friends because they're only around when they need something from you and they are never around when you have a problem and you need someone to talk to. A friend is someone who cares about you and what you have to say, a friend is someone who you do not have to call to say hello but someone who knows you and know your needs.
An acquaintance is someone who you're polite to because of your work or school but someone who you do not see a 'real conection'.

Differences Between Friends & Acquaintances

A friend is someone who, even after you've done something to hurt their feelings (and more than once!), will still consider *you* a friend. Someone you can tell the most outrageous things to, and still loves you. Someone who encourages you to do and be your best in all things, and shares their strength when you need it -- and accepts yours in their time of need. Someone who understands what you mean when you can't find the right words to express yourself. Someone who is closer to you than your family.

Roz

Differences Friends & Acquaintances

Acquaintances are people, like those you work with or go to church with or are in social clubs with, whom you interact with on a fairly impersonnal basis, or at least a shallow friendship basis. They know you but they don't know know you.
Friends know you more deeply on a more personal basis.
Acquaintances are easier, too, because they aren't as personal as so aren't as difficult to maintain. They don't take as much work as a friendship because there's less of an actual relationship to maintain.

Edited: auxarcs on 15th Oct, 2012 - 6:22pm