What are friends? That is a hard question to answer because people may assume they have them when they really do not. Friends is a complex term because people use it in the wrong context and do not realize it is that bond you have rather than just knowing the person. I would rather have acquaintances than fake friends in reality that just want to bring you down and make you do worse than what you were initially doing. Acquaintances are people you know and associate with, but not on a high level. Friends who come into your life can easily leave, so make sure you choose your "friends" wisely and see their inside before you see their outside. What I mean by "see their inside before you see the outside", is do not be intimidated by the way they act around you, but how they act around people they know and who you do not know. If they do not introduce you to their friends, then it simply shows you are just someone to hang around with and they be embarrassed to be with you externally. I would not want a friend who is embarrassed to be with you while they are with other friends that they try to fit in with.
My advice would be is to be yourself and do not conform to anything you are not comfortable with doing. Many people would want to fit in the crowd to feel like something of self-worth, but it is best to be independent and find friends that will actually be your friends permanently not temporarily. It is best to have a group of real friends than a mob of people who you know that have no care for you in the world. Friends mean someone who will be there for you, support you with your moral decisions, and see you when they can to keep that typical friendship. The people that go out their way to do something nice for you and do not change up for something that comes in their life such as a relationship is what you can have in your life. Some friends will change when they enter a relationship and just talk to their boyfriend/girlfriend, forgetting about the friends they have and the outside world. The only problem with this is what happens when the couple gets in an argument, who will they go to now when they basically ignored the people who were there for them in the first place.
It is a sad world that some people take friends for granted and throw them under the boat. Keep your friends that you know will be there for you through thick and thin to keep that positivity and happiness in your life. Sometimes you will have to refresh your friends and clear the slate to find new friends.
