Friendship Differences

Here's the response of a 10-year-old:

1. I don't really know how to answer the first question. I'm really sorry about that. I did answer the rest of the questions, though. I tried to answer the questions as best as I could.

2. Well, I usually don't talk to that person for a day or two. Yes, after a while I'll apologize to them or they will to me,depends on the situation.

3. Paige,Jillian,Olivia,sometimes Amber,and Jesse, my neighbor. Sometimes I go to Jesse's house after school during the spring and early summer. Paige sometimes comes over on the weekends.But not that much anymore. People that I invite to my party are people I usually hang out with,or close friends at school.

4. I would say Amber. Everyone in class thinks she's cool. Amber is very nice. Amber's popular because she has a lot of friends. She's not the mean popular. She's also very smart and cute.

And here is the response of a 19-year-old:

1. The leap from acquaintance to friend occurs, in my mind, when one acquires the desire to actively seek out the other, instead of merely enjoying chance encounters. With very few exceptions, trust too is usually essential for true friendship, often manifest in confidence or easy-going.

2. Fights rarely split true friendships permanently. Usually fights between friends erupt either because of jealousy, ideological differences, or prolonged proximity (which can make even the closest of friends snippy). The latter "fights" can usually be resolved with a simple simmer-down period, after which everything returns to normal (these tend to be more common). True friends usually have conquered ideological differences and accept their differing views, but spurts of disagreement are not uncommon. These too are usually swept under the table, unless the disagreement has prolonged practical implications. Jealousy scuffles are dangerous, but if friends are mutually respectful they are not fatal. These sorts of fights might arise over romantic disputes, skills-based achievement, or anything of that nature. Though these take the most work - usually a necessary cathartic confession wrecks havoc for a bit - understanding often heals even these sorts of problems over time.

3. Group 1: Kevin, Boysam
Group 2: Kael, Mike, Rin, Josh
Peripherals: Richard, Sclaire
A) The periphs, usually (just for availability reasons).
B) All of the above
C) Group 1 or 2, depending on the party.

4. In group 1, probably Kevin, but mostly because he just organizes everything, so he's sorta at the center. So I'd say it's because of his assertiveness, In group 2, probably myself, because of confidence and humor. For the others it's not really applicable. The notion of popularity among close friends really sort of seems to fade out after high school. In large acquaintance groups it's still there, of course, and in work situations it often arises. But healthy friendships are founded on equality, to a certain extent - qualified, asymmetrical but balanced equality.