The word "friendship" is sadly mis-used. When people refer to "friends", what they so often actually mean is unfortunately, "acquaintances".

Your "friends" are probably not real friends

– if you see or talk to them only occasionally (you miss out on too much of their lives)
– if you have to walk on eggshells when you speak to them,
– when you find you don’t have that much to say to them,
– if they do or say something really dumb or hurtful and you cannot have an adult discussion about it,
–  if you secretly feel you have little in common with them
– if the "friendship is based on money and what they can offer you, rather than what you can offer them,
– if you cannot test the friendship in other ways.

Challenge!   I would like to hear someone else’s definition of friendship.  I have said what I think friendship is not – – will someone contribute a few words about what it is or ought to be?