Why do people want to have friends?

Inspired by this post.

Serious discussion, not antagonistic or pessimistic, just curious on everyone elses views on this topic. I didn't see a thread regarding this question in general, so here ya go.

Personally, I pretty much ended up just wanting to use my friends, even if it's fun hanging out with them, but then there's this one friend I just can't bring myself to actually use, like, I don't know how to put it, but I prefer to do more for that friend than to get out of him. No points for guessing who it is.

edited 19th Aug '11 8:17:12 PM by Enzeru

No offense, but if you think of this person in those terms, you're probably not his friend. Which, of course, begs the question of how he views you.

Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)

Um... am I missing the question here? I'm not sure I understand.

Having no friends would be lonely. Anyway, sometimes you just wind up being friends with people, and you wouldn't want otherwise.

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As someone who currently possesses zero friends, and wants to change that, I want to have friend so that I have people to talk to. People to depend on and for them to depend on me. To have people to hang out with and do stuff with. Also because I think my sanity is going to start slipping if I don't get some friends already.

Through the eyes I have known you.

Because they can't stand the maddening hell of being trapped in their own mind with only their thoughts.

Friends are one of the five relationships, and the only one between equals.

“Love is the eternal law whereby the universe was created and is ruled.” — St. Bernard

Because a lack of friends drives me bugfuck insane with depression. I need people. I need friendly interaction with people.

If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan Chah

If you lack people to talk about the things that really matter to you [mutual sense of 'you'], you'll end up believing whatever you subconsciously prefer to believe, rather than a belief that gets tested against reality. Needless to say, that leads to failing at life. IOW, companionship (on a deep level) has a very concretely definable value — two people travelling on the same path, can help each other to do things as best as they can / mutually compensate for the other's blind spots.

By that definition, a lot of people don't really have friends, although they call them friends. Sad but apparently true.

'Don't beg for anything, do it yourself, or else you won't get anything.'

Because being alone sucks donkey balls. And I should know; I'm usually alone and have a very hard time connecting with people in meaningful ways.

I get your point there. To me, someone you can have a friendly discussion with doesn't necessarily count as a friend.

@topic question: Because people don't like being lonely.

something

I'm not sure what people who have friends see in the whole arrangement, but from my perspective, it appears that the main benefits of having friends would be career networking opportunities, free labor for moving furniture and things of that sort, and being able to get a ride in their cars.

edited 19th Aug '11 10:22:09 PM by Tongpu

Humans are social animals. Having allies you could trust with your life was essential back in our hunting and gathering days.

Because having friendships based on mutual trust and respect is one of the most important factors in achieving happiness? Of course, there are hermits in this world who can live a completely fulfilling life without any companionship whatsoever, but for the vast majority of us, we need good friends, friends we are completely open with and absolutely trust, to be truly happy.

I enjoy going out with friends and having fun, why is that a difficult idea to grasp?

Is using "Julian Assange is a Hillary butt plug" an acceptable signature quote?

Because you slowly go mad without human contact.

With some people, it's the contact that slowly drives you mad, of course.

"Well, it's a lifestyle"

Because I'd go bonkers from loneliness. That said even when hanging out with my best mates I can still feel distant and alone but that is something different. For me it's just nice to have people who I can chill and talk about random crap with, it gets me out of my head where I spend too much time and end up torturing myself over silly things. The relationships aren't perfect and recently I've noticed things getting tense and we argue a lot more but I wouldn't trade them for anything. They've been there for me at the worst most difficult times of my life and have helped me get through them. They give me a sense of fulfilment. I guess you can say that is using them for my own benefit but that wouldn't be my intention and they're my mates regardless of what they have to offer me. In many ways they're my family.

I have tried to go without friends, but it's really damn hard. Humans naturally seek out friends, we need them. Im not sure if it's so we have someone to talk too or someone to reassure us but we need them.

You can't spell ignorance without IGN.

Oh wow, I didn't expect so many posts, and they're interesting to boot!

@Totemic Hero: I'm confused, do you mean that there's not really a close relationship if I don't try to take advantage of my friend at points or something?

Because they do...is TV Tropes full of robots, how could people not understand the concept of friends?

Humans are social animals.

And that's all you need to know

You either have it or you don't

I have talents and abilities that other people lack. In that same breath, there's a lot of skills I don't have, which people around me do. If I befriend these people, we can come together and work as a team and help overcome each other's issues. If I need to borrow some money, I can go to one of my friend's. If a friend needs help writing an essay, they can come to me and I can help them out. And if we just want to relax and ease our stress, we can see each other and do stuff like see a movie or go eat.

Seriously, does anyone here think friends are a bad thing for people to have? I thought the baby discussion was stupid, mostly in the case of a pretty bad OP, but this is a little much. I can't think of anyone except the most shallow of hermits who would say friends are bad thing to want. And robots, which appears to be a path tropes are taking in order to appear cool and/or knowledgeable.

I'm pretty sure the concept of Law having limits was a translation error. -Wanderlustwarrior

10/10 on the aspietard scale.

edited 20th Aug '11 9:37:52 AM by Erock

If you don't like a single Frank Ocean song, you have no soul.

I think my life would be empty without friends. After all, I cant argue with you nerds about the best formation for England or whatever

Dutch Lesbian

I guess some people just naturally don't feel the need for friends as much as others if at all and they may have trouble understanding why other people do feel such a need. They may know that most people see the benefit in having close affinity with others but they may not understand why.

Of course some of them may just be a bunch of posers but I guess there are genuinely people who don't see the pros of having friends which is fine so long as they don't try and project that onto others.

Football right?

edited 20th Aug '11 9:38:57 AM by PiccoloNo92