What are your level/standards for friendship?

[Here No Longer 5,270]

Well, in my case there's a few "levels" I suppose, and it can take some time for most people to get to that point with me. I'm not very sociable and I'm really awkward in real life.

 

1. Acquaintance- I know you well enough, and you seem like a decent person.  This level doesn't really count as a friend though to be honest. But of everyone who would be mentioned here that I know now, I can count on one hand those who don't fit into this category.
2. Friend- I feel somewhat comfortable around you and I may actually talk to you... some. Yes, I can even be a bit cold around my own friends. But, these people are the people that I would probably spend some of my time around, and that I would sometimes talk to about some things. I'm about as comfortable as this with most of my family, also.
3. Best Friend-  I know you really well, and I feel really comfortable around you. I can tell somebody on this level things I wouldn't tell anyone else. Although in that case most people on this forum count, these are people that know me in real life, which I've never seen any of you in real life unless any of you were at San Antonio's San Japan Convention that I went to last year than I may have, but it's unlikely. Nonetheless, I'm comfortable enough around these people. As of now, only one person fits here though... 
4. Boyfriend- Only one person of the male sex can fit in this category, and right now there is a smart, sweet, and cute guy that occupies it.   Basically, if you're the one in this category, I love you more than anything else in the world, and you have become my world (S___).

[EpicEnergy 22,105]

I consider those who I know very well and hang out with a lot as friends.

[Jesse Terrence 2,963]

Hrm. I guess I have some? I used to not be so untrusting until the equestriacon fiasco happened, but I learned the hard way kind people you hang out with a lot doesn't necessarily care and probably hangs out just for a lack of better people to be with.

So I go for actiquance: people I know but have no particular opinion towards. I don't trust them enough and I avoid contact unless necessary. I will act kind because I would like them to treat me kindly. You know, treat people the way you want them to treat you.

Friendship: I still don't trust them, but I don't avoid them anymore. I start to actually share some stuff I like on this point like music, videos and memes.

Friend: there's a certain level of actual trust here. I share things about me more easily, including unpopular opinions. I look after my friends a lot. Any problem or so matters to me at this point, and I'll try to be supportive even if uncalled for.

Good/close friend: I trust these people a lot. I openly share the best parts of me here. Instead of being the ultra snarky person I usually am, I let out bursts of dork playfulness and become more sheepish. I actually listen to advice and suggestions and I'm up to invest far more time than I should on helping or making my good/close friends laugh.

Best friend: pretty much like if they were part of my family. I'm up to sacrifice many things for my best friends. I show the softest parts of me on this level of trust, and I'm as honest as possible to my best friends, sharing things that actually make me feel embarassed of myself. I'm so ok with my best friends I don't mind moving in or letting them move into my place or lending them whatever thing they might need to take borrowed from me. I can forgive my best friends of almost anything. That's why it hurts so bad when they get tired of me.

[applesjck 5,601]

I consider people that I get along well with and have talked to for about a week or two a friend.

I love making friends!

[Cocokoru 133]

I didn't think I have those levels of friendship. But thinking about it, I actually do. Kinda. ^-^

I feel neutral to most people, unless I know them a little bit better in person.

Acquaintances are people who I just know a bit more about. I still don't know what to talk about, because we have not much (or nothing at all) in common. I don't trust them. Being acquaintances is even worse then not knowing someone (being neutral). Because we know each other good enough to know we don't fit together...

Good friends. I feel comfortable to talk about almost everything with them, but I still feel a bit shy around them. This can happen, for example, when those people don't have much time, it can take months or years to learn more about them. But I really love them and I don't wanna miss them.

Best friends. This is the highest achievable level in my opinion, since I don't believe in romantic and that kinda stuff. I can talk about absolutely everything with them and without a second thought. We like each other exactly the way we are. Which means I can be super crazy, silly and do all the other fluffy stuff. I want to surprise them often, just draw something for them when I feel like it and simply share my life with them. Best friends cheer me up all the time, just seeing them makes me incredibly happy and it enlightens my day over 9000! So to speak. They can be completely different than me, having totally different interests than me, but there is still something that connects us. I think it's their personality, their nature. It just works.

But yeah, that's really extreeemely rare. It's pure luck to find those people in life.

And yeah. I don't have a inbetween level called “Friends” or similar. Either I'm closer to them or not at all. There are various reasons for this. Different opinions about what friendship is for example. There might be people who live for those friend lists, like on Facebook. Maybe “collecting” them. It wouldn't fulfill me personally, my heart would still be empty. Another reason is that people often just vanish, especially online. Or it's a one-sided relationship. I learned that it just happens. Whatever relationship it will become, it just happens. I don't think we can look for something specific.

[Splashee 28,537]

I am still looking for a standard way to see what a friend should be like. People are way more different than I first thought. Many people can be nice, which is a good quality in a friend. Many people can be... Not so nice too, and if you start being too picky, there will be no friends left.

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

I like to tell myself if I can only talk to someone in one setting about a couple of things only, they’re just basic friends. If I can talk to someone in multiple places about almost anything, they’re good friends. I can also tell who the friends are by who I feel more comfortable opening up to.