There are the friends we only meet at parties, and there are our ride-or-die BFFs.
All of these different types of friends play different roles in our lives.
At a Glance
Acquaintances are people we know but haventreallyspent time with.
Oliver Rossi/DigitalVision/Getty
Casual friends are the friends we hang out with at work or pottery class, for company and camaraderie.
Close friends are our besties that we share everything with.
Lifelong friends, or childhood friends, are practically family.
Acquaintances
Acquaintances are friends weve met a few times, either at parties or through mutual friends.
The connection is more tied to the shared activity than a strong personal bond.
We might interact with these friends fairly regularly because of the shared environment or activity.
These are often the friends that our values most closely align with, Melewski explains.
Close friends offer:
Lifelong Friends
Lifelong friends are the people weve been friends with since childhood.
These are often the friends you could be your most authentic self with, says Melewski.
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