Is it okay to go through life without friends?

Question

I am not good at making friends or keeping friends. I call myself the loner. I really don't think I need friends. Is that okay?

Answer 1

if you want to become a real estate agent, then you will lose your friends anyway.

Answer 2

Okay. I usually only answer renting and real estate questions because it's my field, but hey, you posted the question here, so I'll give it a shot.

Friends are irrelevant. You need to be happy within yourself first and foremost. And I'm going to go out on a limb and say that's really your problem. You're so concentrated on what other people think that you have not developed confidence and peace within yourself.

But here's the funny thing, once you become a happy person, you will have friends. Seeking friends isn't going to do it for you. People like being around people that make them feel good. Happy, confident people make people feel good.

I urge you to go talk to a counselor and ask for help becoming happy. You control your attitude and outlook. Learn skills to make those positive and the friends issue will solve itself.

Take it from the formerly clinging, needy jerk who sat at home alone many a night waiting for the phone to ring who now sometimes makes up fake plans just to turn down invites. The most important friend you can have is yourself!

Good luck!

Answer 3

Many people confuse acquaintenances with friends. Just knowing their name and seeing them occasionally does not necessary make them "friends". Yes, you may refer them as a friend, but they may not necessarily be a "friend". That may be confusing, but if you think about it you will understand. A "friend" is much more than an acquaintenance.

I'm a loner myself. I find myself uncomfortable around people and crowds. I prefer solitude. I do have aquaintances that I call friends. We just don't hang out or call each other. I do have a very few who I call "friends".

It is okay not to be Mr. or Ms. Popularity or a social butterfly. Be yourself and you will be surprised how many "friends" you may really have. It is the attempt to be something else that drives most people away. Most Social Butteflies go thru friends regularly and actually have few "friends" because their lives are usually made up.

Answer 4

You dont need friends per say, I dont really have any outside of my wife. I also have been a historical "loner".

Consider this though, if you ever want to advance into high positions in your career, it is almost impossible not to create and maintain a large social network. A nobody can only push so far, before other people need to start helping them through.

Answer 5

It may be okay to go thru life without any "friends". Friends may consciously or unconsciously want to keep you as their "happy hostage".

I once used to think about a saying: "Many foes much honor" or something like that. What about "many friends much honor?" Of course there does not have to be a kind of polarisation. But "friends" may be quite conditional and may be a menace to one's integrity, to one's spiritual and material freedom, to one's healthy development.

But if by being without friends means to be "lone", then there may be the possibility of saying "loneliness is beautiful". In fact someone in the world has written "loneliness is beautiful" and has earned much money on that.

It may quite well also be that one is one's own best friend. That may be very healthy I think, and beautiful. For me it is important to be fair to oneself and then to others. Also, "fair pride and good style" should be everybody's motto.

While it is a biological need to be with someone else, and with others, as we essentially are from others and for others, it will always be a good thing to warmly consider the concept of friendship. We interact with others and may want it to be a healthy thing. We love our children, therefore we are our children's friends. The same can be said about our parents and about our family at large.

Anyway, it is quite okay to call oneself a loner, and to admit not needing any friends, when that sincerity rhymes well with one's real dreams.

Answer 6

No way, you definitely need friends all through out life. They will be there always from cheering you up when you are down to having a reference on your job application. You may have one best friend forever or have different friends come and go through out your life. When you are young, you have friends to chat and go to the mall with. When you get married and have a family, you have friends who are in the same situation. As you grow, you will meet and socialize with different people but you will always need at least a few to be there for you all through out life (or at least you need 3 for references on job or rent applications). I have been there too but as life revolves, things change.

Answer 7

Yes, that is OK. Maybe to most people it isn't but maybe they don't define friends the way you do. I don't consider myself to have real "friends" but I have many acquaintences, I also like to be a loner and don't intend to change. I have been successful in business and marriage and my only true friend is my wife.

That is my two cents.....just don't worry about it.

Answer 8

No. You need at least 1 or 2 close friends. Most people aren't worth calling friends but when you find that select few then you're really lucky.

Answer 9

1

Answer 10

You are very obviously a man--and you have some perverted ideas about women! Of COURSE, women have women friends--who else would they talk about men with? ") Women are girls first, and they they form very tight friendships--or at least for me and my friends! I'm 82 yrs old and I still email a good number of girl friends from GRADE School! AND there is NO "backstabbing, jealousy nor competition"!

Answer 11

You apparently could use a friend, otherwise you wouldn't be on here questioning yourself about it.

Friends may not be a requirement through life, but I couldn't imagine having to go through bad times without one, or good times without someone to share it with.

Just my opinion.