Someone asked me this question the other day. Thankfully, it was in the course of conversation via email, so I could think it through before answering. I’m pleased with the result.
- Friends are individuals connected by voluntary trust, affection, and esteem. This connection can be forged by a dramatic shared experience, shared experience over time, or intuition. This connection is not indicative of romantic love, emotional attachment, or sexual activity. Negotiated separately, relationship states such as romance, attachment, and sex may or may not exist between friends.
My question to anyone who might read this: Is this definition broad enough to capture the range of your friendships?