In the grand scheme of things, the difference between friends and acquaintances is of little importance. There are people I know who are friends and there are many more who are acquaintances. Some are neither. I learned this from experience. I tried to find some definitions on the internet and there were many. I like this one, though.
An acquaintance is someone you know and spend time with occasionally. A friend is a person with whom you have a strong bond of mutual affection. The main difference between friend and acquaintance is that friends are very close and knows each other’s intimate details, unlike acquaintances.
By way of example, I quote my own case. My loyal reader will know I had a rather severe mental health episode in 2017. It’s had an enduring effect and I can’t see how I will ever get back to how things were. During that time, I discovered who my friends and acquaintances were. I say that in a positive way. My friends and acquaintances were there. It was gratifying to find so many people were batting for me.
By the same token, there were those I believed to be friends and/or acquaintances who weren’t there. Some made subsequent contact about other stuff and some made none at all. I have no bitterness or anger about this. There is no obligation on people to show friendship when none exists. They didn’t make contact with me in the same way that I would not make contact with someone I didn’t know.
I’ve worked hard to move the hate and negativity out of my life. There has been some collateral damage involving people I see and where I go. It does mean I don’t have to pretend. If I don’t want to go somewhere, to do something, then I don’t.
I’m very grateful have so many good friends and acquaintances, as well as those who are somewhere in between the two. You all matter to me.
Footnote: this post is not aimed at any of my ‘friends’ on Facebook or other social networks.
