We often use different terms for the word friend. Confidant, acquaintance, patron, and best friend are the most common. We tend to develop our own definitions for the different types of friends. The word best friend means a person of the highest quality or standing that is closely attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard. This definition can be best understood by contrasting the similar sorts of activity that occur before acquaintances, friends, and best friends.
We often share secrets with the people that we know, but the secret usually varies depending on the classification of the person: acquaintances, friends, and best friends. The secrets we tell our acquaintances are usually never personal and mostly include gossip around the office or school. For example, one might find co-workers whispering about a new office romance, or high school classmates whispering about someone's ugly shoes. Personal secrets are usually shared with friends and best friends. The relationship with each friend determines the intimacy of each secret. For instance, one might tell a friend about who they like and dislike. When sharing secrets with a best friend, people tend to hold nothing back. We share our most intimate fantasies and family secrets with our best friend. Obviously, as our relationship with these people intensify, the magnitude of the secret becomes greater. Not only do our secrets differ between acquaintances, friends, and best friends, but also the deeds we are willing to perform very between the three. .
Favors and acts of kindness are often done for the people we know. The question is which act applies to each person. For the acquaintance, we are willing to lend a pencil or pen, get food for the office or lend them $.50 for a coke. These favors are usually called "common courtesies." For a friend, we would buy them lunch, take them out, or bring them to school.
