What is a friend?

I have been asked this question many many times. Ironically, I’ve never known the answer, but I’ve thought so much about this.

Does a friend have to stay with you forever? If so, how long? And what distinguishes between a “best friend”, “friend”, “acquaintance”, “random person”, and “enemy”?

First off, I feel like the word “friend” is not meant to be defined. It is something we know right from the moment we are born. For example, we know what “happy” and “sad” are right when we are born, but don’t actually learn the dictionary definitions until much later. I think it’s so hard to define what a “friend” really is, because it’s something you feel, not something you memorize the definition of.

Another related question I’ve thought about is the different degrees of friendship. There are those people who are your best friends, those who are just friends, and so on. I would say the quality, and secondly, the quantity, of a person’s interaction with their friend defines what level that friend is on. Why quality first? I believe that happiness between two people depend on quality. Quantity is also important, but it is secondary.

I guess I’ll just never know what the definition of “friend” is. And I’m OK with that.