The Meaning of Friends

What actually does the word 'friends' mean?

Does it merely mean playmates? studymates? Those with similar if not same interests? Those whom you are comfortable to be around with? Those whom you did some of the craziest things together? Those who knows you inside out? Those who always spend a lot of times with you?

'Friends' can be categorized into few categories, according to some, namely mere friends, good friends, best friends, true friends. But how are we going to differentiate from one another? Just by the total time we spent with each other? the number of words we spoke to each other? The number of meals we had together? This is how we built our connections with friends, is it not? Meaning the deeper the connection the deeper the friendship, right? The deeper it is, the higher the category of friendship. I am sure most of us agreed upon this.

But then thinking back, even if the amount of time spent together totals up to an astronomical number (meaning a lot lar) if that person is just putting up a mask with you, will you be able to make a connestion? if yes, is that connection true? Then, if someone who puts down all the masks and you realized that actually you liked that person with masks better, what then? People can finally show you their true colours meaning the connection must be as deep as ocean yet you prefer the actor??? Can an actor be a true friend?

Time spent.. Will friendship fade with time if the two friends were in the opposite points of the earth? Will the 'friendship' downgrades from true to best, from best to good, from good to mere friends?Different places = less talking = less playing = less time spent together. But still the connections must be still there right? If it really does fade, how meaningful this 'friendship' is? Is it true to say the lesser the communication the faster the 'friendship' fades? Is there a kind of 'friendship' that doesn't fade with time?

Understanding. Well, being 'friends' must have a certain understanding. If that person understands you, knows what makes you happy, knows what you really want but that will eventually bring you further apart (because you know you don't belong there, if not who won't want the best of both worlds?!?), will you let the other person go? Is it consider 'friends' if you selfishly keep your 'friend' by your side when you know your 'friend' will be happier elsewhere? Again, if you let go, will the 'friendship' stays, completely or partially? Or will it fade and just gone with the wind? Will that 'friend' knows how to cherish the friendship built over a long period of time?

Quantity & Quality. Some people like to have as many true friends (Quantity counts) as possible while some prefer keeping 1 or 2 true friends (Quality counts). Most of the popular ones belong to the 1st group and the quiet ones, the latter. Thus bringing us to a question: does the quantity really represent something important? You have to sacrifice the quality for the quantity, true? If you diversify surely the qualities of individual friendship doesn't really make up to the quality of a friend whom you focus on. It doesn't really bring us much problem if the two friends are from the same category.

What if, for instance, A is from Quantity group and Z is from Quality group. Z knows A will only be happy if A has a lot of so called true friends, so Z can't spend much time with A. Therefore in the context of Z, Z will feel that the friendship is somehow weakened, right? Yet maybe for A, A will feel Z had gotten much more and yearn to break off and find other 'friends'... If superimposed on the condition where A knows what Z wants Y to be his next true friend yet A and Y can't meet eye to eye... Of course as a friend, A will definitely let Z go... As A let go, A must have already thought that the 'friendship' will begin to fade just didn't know will fade to which degree? Z on the other hand couldn't understand why A is doing this as in Z's context, Z want to maintain as many true friends as possible (meaning Z doesn't want any of the 'friendships' to drop even slightly). What will happen to them?

It's very complicated when we reflect upon this isn't it? It all boils down to attachments actually is it not? The deeper the connection, the greater the attachment, the harder to let go. Nothing is permanent right?