The show's portrayal of friendship.

[CastletonSnob 3,026]

Do you think the show is an accurate portrayal of friendship?

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,358]

As of late, I'd say it is at least decently accurate. Starlight and Trixie have been a surprisingly good example. They bicker a bit between each other, which shows that not everything in friendship is 100% perfect, but they still have a good bond because of the connection they have. Sometimes having one common connection is all it takes for a good friendship to exist.

[Libra 11,690]

I agree with @Kyoshi here. It may not be 100% accurate, but its a model of what good friendships are.

[Jeric 46,835]

This is a difficult question to answer. Very few shows ever truly capture the complexity and nuances of actual friendships. I consider myself extremely lucky to have a handful of close friends that I am more connected to. And there are many others that I consider friends in general. That's the rub isn't it. There are people who would call a person an acquaintance where other would call them a friend. For me the show gets more right that wrong. 

@Kyoshi mentioned one nuance that the show has improved on over the years. Trixie and Starlight have a dynamic that is pretty realistic. You can tell that they occasionally annoy each other, and have completely different personalities, but they enjoy each other's company enough that these differences don't get in the way. 

The show also is notable at having some dynamics appear closer than others. One could say that Rarity is probably closer to Fluttershy and AJ than she is to Pinkie and RD. Similarly you have the impression that RD may have a stronger relationship with Fluttershy than the others. In a group dynamic you will find this sort of thing often. 

In some cases conflict is settled too easily, so even accounting for the fact that it's a fictional show, some situations would likely take more effort to resolve. While I have maintained close friendships over the years, I've seen personal conflict end what I once considered strong bonds of friendship. Some of those  conflict run so deep and personally emotional that it makes reconciliation impossible. That's one element that I don't expect the show to ever address. 

This is actually a decent question. I have to dwell on it and see if there is anything more I can add later. 

[FlareGun45 2,221]

I cannot say. Show brings a good message, but it doesn't even seem like the show's staff really cares about it, or half the fandom. For the staff, it's a money-maker, for the fandom, it's fan-pandering. I actually started watching it for the friendship, and I still do to an extent. But there are people both in the fandom and the show staff that really doesn't care. That's one of the reasons why the show is losing it's charm to me.

[Star Petal 215]

99.9% of Friendships is two people sitting in a room making small talk and saying, yup! 

If you want a good model of 100% accurate friendship, Use Hank Hill From King of the hill when he and his friends are talking in the alley. That is 100% accurate! People, or ponies, just sitting or standing making mundane small talk while the others say yup! 

[Aethylynn 45]

My mother once told me that close intimate groups you see on TV were not realistic. It took me a while to figure out what she meant, but I think I have identified it.

In shows like MLP, you see a distinct group of friends with a readily identifiable boundary. Whenever there is a group activity, it is the same ponies far more often than not. It is the same with other shows like Sienfeld, Friends, etc. If you were to compile a list of people in the group, you would have little trouble getting it exactly right.

In real life, however, social groupings are less well defined. People are continually joining and leaving the group. There may be different groups for different activities, and the group would differ from person to person, depending on who's POV is being considered. Thinking back on my own life, I don't think I have ever socialized with the exact same group twice.

The point of this is that the group bond you see here is not reflected in real life. While there may be some exceptions, without an external artifact to create a boundary (eg, school, elements of harmony), they would be rare. Most bonds are between individuals.

That's my observation. What do you think?