1. You can tell them bad news, and they will listen, without starting a story about their own troubles.

More importantly:

2. You can tell them good news, and they will be genuinely happy for you. This characteristic of true friendship is very rare, and it’s why I think most friendships are companionship out of a fear of being alone.

It seems everyone has a different definition of friendship. My own definition, which is narrower than the one above, is so narrow that I’m prone to say I don’t have any friends at the moment, perhaps one or two, though I have lots of people I get along well with, and to be fair, I’m not a true friend to that many people either, there are some, but not many. I often have a hard time fulfilling the second requirement mentioned above.

A facebook friend sent me a picture of a Christmas card he got from ex-employers of his. They send it every year. He writes me: ‘Now this is true friendship’.

Really? I mean, REALLY??

True friendship is sending a Christmas card every year????

I know they hardly have any contact apart from sending this Christmas card and that is supposed to be real friendship?

Wow, what an easy requirement to be listed as a true friend in that person’s book!

So how do you define ‘true friendship’?

Here’s Jordan Peterson on the matter: