This word was actually harder to define than I thought it would be. To get started, I checked the dictionary that stated a friend is "a person who knows and likes another, a person who favours and supports and a person who belongs to the same side or group."
By those definitions I have hundreds, maybe thousands, of friends, but I truly believe it goes beyond these definitions. A friend must do much more than like you. To me, a friend is someone who knows all about you and likes you anyway. Being a friend means more than recognizing that no one is perfect, it means accepting it.
I, like most people, have many flaws. My true friends not only tolerate these weaknesses but also love me because of them. They either help me see them myself without dwelling on them or they even help me to overcome some of these weaknesses. A friend is someone who doesn't ask you to change but helps you to grow.
The most important quality a friend can demonstrate is loyalty. This means standing by you when the going gets a little rough, not just in the good times. It means standing up for you at all times, not letting others demean you in any way, and never taking advantage of you or treating you badly. Being supportive is yet another important quality in a friendship. This means cheering for you when things go your way, and being there during the bad times. Good friends allow you to make mistakes that you can learn from and forgive you for them. Loyalty, support, honesty and acceptance are so important to me that I would rather have 5 friends that fit my definition as opposed to 1000 "friends" that fit the dictionary definition.
Unlike family, we choose our friends. If your "friends" aren't all of the things that are important to you, then you should ask yourself why you are calling them a friend.
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