Q&A: What is the difference between a friend and an acquaintance?

Posted on 02 January 2012 by Admin

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Question by echostar: What is the difference between a friend and an acquaintance?
1 What is the difference?
2 When do you consider a person a friend?
3 If a person calls you a friend, does that mean that they really are a friend?
4 What qualities do you look for in a friend?
5 I don’t consider anyone but my husband to be my friend, but I do have acquaintances. Is that normal?
6 Anything else you would like to ad, thank you.

Someone’s answer:

Answer by Boiler
If you are talking to an officer and he asks if you know the person that committed the crime…. you say, he was an acquaintance.

If you are speaking of someone who socially/financially benefits you in life… you say, he is a friend.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Comments (7)

  1. Lucy says:

    1 – A (true) friend is someone you trust. An acquaintance is just someone you know.
    2 – When you can tell personal things and they don’t repeat it. They will check on you if you’re sick, while an acquantance says to call when you feel better.
    3 – No, a lot of people may refer to acquaintances as friends but that’s like calling a Pepsi a Coke.
    4 – Honest with me but in a nice way and would never hurt my feelings on purpose.
    5 – Yes. Normalcy isn’t necessarily the same for everyone.
    6 – I would rather have one true friend than a hundred acquantances (or “fair weather friends”) because quality is more important than quanity.

  2. raindrops on roses says:

    1 What is the difference? An aquaitntance would bail you out of jail, a best friend would be sitin gnext to you in the cell say ing “damn that was fun”

    2 When do you consider a person a friend? When I can trust them, and I want to share my feelings with them, and all around enjoy the,.

    3 If a person calls you a friend, does that mean that they really are a friend? Nope.

    4 What qualities do you look for in a friend? Humpur, can’t be petty, (not pRetty, pEtty.) can’t be shallow. ect ect ect

    5 I don’t consider anyone but my husband to be my friend, but I do have acquaintances. Is that normal? If that floats your boat sure.

    6 Anything else you would like to ad, thank you.Nope. Good luck.

  3. Diego says:

    let’s say your car fails late at night 25 miles from your home.
    Who can you call besides your husband?? “This person is your friend”.
    With the same token. If you get that call. That person calling considers you a friend.

  4. Digz says:

    1.An aquaintance is someone you know…
    2.A friend is someone who is there for you in good and bad times, Someone who you can share your feelings with and talk to and count on to be there for you.
    3.NO, sometimes people say it to be polite and not offend the other person.
    4. Honesty, Trustworthy, Optimistic, Reliable
    5. Yes, an acquaintance is just a person you know. It can be a coworker, a person you went to school with, etc.
    6. My husband used to be my best friend, After i got married, i lost contact with all my friends, The only i needed was my husband because i could count on him, etc. now my marriage is slowly falling apart and i have no friends to be there for me, when i need a shoulder to cry on… We all need friends to lean on.

  5. jared says:

    say you went to jail, a friend would bail you out and a acquaintance would say “oh wow sucks to be you”
    2. They are fun and people you just want to be around and they also like you to be around you. thats how you consider a person your friend.
    3. No they could just want to use you for something but in the near futer and they don’t then maybe.
    4. a good person who will help you when you need help.
    5. no.
    6. no have aq nice day….

  6. crazylegs says:

    Echostar, a lot of people really are confused about this subject. Too many mistakenly name anyone who they have had any form of contact with positevly as a friend. But fact of live is that most folks that come through our lives are only acquaintances. When I was younger I had many acquaintances who at the time I thought were friends. But my real friends were there through good and bad times. My acquaintances were certainly there for the good times but were no where to be found, but neither did I look for them, when times were getting a little tougher. Friends I have today I can comfortably do and say anything in front of them and they will not judge me. They will tell me exactly what they think especially if it is different from my believes and do not answer things just to pacify you. They are the ones who I would allow call me or me them at anytime night or day and would be there for each other. Like yourself my wife is truly my best and closest friend but I feel that I also have four other people who are all male friends that I can and do trust enough to call my real close friends. Everyone else in my life though if I was to be honest would have to be associated as acquaintances.

  7. Votre chance ! says:

    1. the difference is that a friend is like the half of you. You tell her/him your secrets, he/she keeps your secrets and tells his/hers.
    2.I consider a person a friend, when he/she defend me from all bad things in life and always tells the truth (sincere). Even if the truth is harsh.
    3. Not, really sometimes you or other person can call somebody a friend, but it’s not always the truth. Action is all words answer.
    4. Being funny, and love almost the same things I like: hanging out @ mall, shopping, music and fashion.
    5. Nope it’s not normal
    6. If you have a husband to be your friend, you definetely need to have a girlfriend. To tell and share the secrets and stuffs.

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