Would You Rather #17: Have many Good Friends or one very Best Friend?

Friends! Where would we be without them? They build us up, encourage, criticize, support and believe in us. Some test and push us to the wall. Like seeds, some end up being bad ones and they betray us and leave us broken and scarred. But through the hurt and disappointment, they still leave us with lessons worth learning.

When it comes to platonic relationships, some people prefer to spread their nets in order to know so many people while others are content with just handful of friends. The out-going type loves to enrich his life by gaining experience of meeting and interacting people from diverse backgrounds. The introspective type prefers to surround herself with people she has a lot in common with but also with some divergence to keep things interesting.

Like every coin, there are two sides to each choice; everything has its pros and cons. Spreading your net ensures that you don’t run out of friends in any point in time. No matter how many move out of town, get married and move on, drift away or even die (worst case scenario), one would still have a number of people he can count on as friends. When one has quite a number of friends, it is easier to place them in categories and relate to them according to specific needs.

You have friends you can go to when you need some serious advice and would set you straight in all bluntness; some you can count on for comfort, some you can hang out and have fun with and some who are rich in human networking and would link you up with someone up there. This way you don’t burden one or a couple of friends with everything that goes on in your life. Your life doesn’t feel the impact heavily when some friends are no longer on your contact list. The one big disadvantage of having too many friends is entrusting your business (issues, I mean) in the hands of so many people. You get an altercation with some of them and you risk getting all your dirty laundry out there. And social media makes such revenge all easier to your disadvantage.

On the flip side, having one best friend is like having a brother or sister from another mother. He/she basically becomes family. You share your joys, fears and sorrows with him/her. You two grow up to become soulmates somewhat. No matter where life takes you, you know you have that one great friend who always has your back. You fight and hurt each other, you make up and forgive each other. That friend earns a permanent place in your heart and nothing can evict him or her from there. Because this one person would get to know you almost completely, one has to believe that he is trustworthy to know him completely.

I don’t have many good friends; just a few and I am fine with that. My personality doesn’t allow for so many people invading my space so I prefer to keep them as acquaintances and relate to them as such. It is an undeniable fact that it gets lonely sometimes especially when we get to that phase in life when we have to take our own paths so might not be in each other’s lives the way it used to be but I’ve come to accept that as part of life. Many friends imply more influence on your decisions and values and I don’t think I can handle that much so I’d rather comfortably settle for one best friend.

Mine is amazing by the way and I thank God for her life every day. She has made me grow up in ways I would never have been able to on my own and I don’t know where and who I would be today if God hadn’t made us cross paths.

Do you have or prefer many good friends than one very close one? Or you have that special one you consider family? Kindly share your thoughts.

Josephine Amoako © 2016