4 Ways to Tell the Difference between a Friend and an Acquaintance

We all interact with numerous people on a daily basis and our relationship with each of these people varies greatly.  How many of these people are actually your friends though and not merely acquaintances?  Chances are you have numerous acquaintances and only a few real friends.  There are a few questions you can ask yourself to help distinguish between the two. 

First of all, what kind of interaction do you have with the person?  Even if you see a person every day, if your interactions are superficial, they are probably merely an acquaintance and not a friend.  On the other hand, you may have people in your life that you haven't seen or spoken to for months or years but you know everything there is to know about each other and when you do see or talk to them, it's as if no time has passed at all.

Second, do your friends support your interests and truly care about your happiness?  There are likely people in your life who share many of the same interests and hobbies as you do but this doesn't necessarily make them a closer friend than people in your life who don't share the same interests as you.  What matters the most is that someone wants you to be happy and supports you and the things that you do that you enjoy.  These people are true friends. 

A third factor is whether or not someone tries to mooch off of you or take advantage of you.  It is fine for friends to do favors for one another and help each other out within reason.  You should be careful though when it seems that favors are always one-sided, borrowed items or money are not returned or someone only contacts you when they need something.  If this is happening, the person is most likely not a true friend.

Fourth, in what situations do you usually spend time with this person?  If you only see the person in a group setting or in public places, it's likely that he or she is just an acquaintance.  Generally you will spend time with your friends one-on-one or at each other's homes.  With a friend, you typically take time out to specifically spend time with him or her whereas when you see an acquaintance it's because they happen to be present when you are doing something else you want to do or seeing another friend.

In summary, a true friend is someone who is honest with you and someone you can be your true self around.  A true friend won't use you for his or her benefit but your relationship will be mutually beneficial for the support and company that you can provide each other.  True friends are people you enjoy spending your time with and who you are willing to make an effort to see and talk to.  By determining who your true friends are versus acquaintances you can avoid putting too much trust in people who you can't really depend on.