Padd Solutions

We all know that there are levels of friendship; I like to think of it as the friendship pyramid.

Kinda like this but less creepy

The base is made up of acquaintances, friends of friends and people you think look vaguely familiar. Usually the denizens of this level are people that you have met for a few hours and then see them later you don’t know whether to let it be known that you know who they are, in case they think you are crazy or they don’t remember you. These people I like to give them the subtle, ‘what’s up nod’ nothing too formal. It acknowledges that you know each other but you are not inviting them over for tea and crumpets.

The second level is, school friends, classmates and work friends. These people are their own group mostly because we act a certain way around them.

These people are cool to hang out with from 8-5 Monday through Friday, but inviting them out of this environment can cause problems. Especially if you are in a competitive company or class with them. Many people in this section seem to think that going out with you while not part of class or work is a hidden sign for them to become a covert ninja spy. Who only pretends to be cool until they can use the information that they have learned from you to their advantage. They are the ones that will use the fact that you had a glass of wine with dinner as proof positive that you are an alcoholic and will begin your destruction.

Level three is the transition phase. I like to think of it as friend limbo. This can be a good friend zone or a bad friend zone. Say that a member of the bottom two tiers has proved their awesomeness and you have deemed them eligible to compete to be in another tier. Then this is a good place for them to be. Or it could be bad. Say someone from the top two tiers has shown how unawesome they are, they can be kicked down to level three while their status is being reevaluated. This is also the only time that the friend pyramid and the love pyramid completely mesh. Members of the love pyramid don’t like coming to this level, mostly because it kicks they out of the other pyramid. If you have every watched the Scrubs episode about the friend zone it greatly explains this transition.

Fourth level is the people that are not your best friends but are still pretty cool. These are the people that know you well enough that you feel you can be more of your self around. However you don’t go full on you around these people. Say you are a really big Pokémon fan, but it’s not something everyone knows. You don’t bust out with the whole Pokémon roster. You pretend you only know the original 150 since that was cool when we were young, and see if anyone else starts naming obscure Pokémon, or whips out their DS. Then you know it is safe. You might also recognize this zone from when you first start dating someone, it’s kind of similar to the beginning of a relationship. There is a great quote that says, “Love comes slowly. The running across a field into someone’s arms comes later in the relationship. Once you’re sure that they won’t laugh if you trip and fall on your face.” Ladies these are the women that you ask to go to the bathroom with you when you are at a party. The relationships you have with close friends greatly resemble love at times. People need to love you to want to hear about your strange neurosis and idiosyncrasies. Typically with this level you still need to have some set ‘plans’ about what you are going to do, rather than just be together.

The fifth level is for your best friends, siblings and family members that you are really close to. These people have something in common; they love you, even when they hate you. These people know that you are actually vulnerable and cry more than you let on.

These people are there even when you think that there is no one else. They will come and get you when you run out of gas, and they won’t even tell you that you are stupid. They know all about your obsession with Pokémon and they are ok with that. These are the type of people that you feel comfortable lending money to in any situation. They are also the ones that know more about you than even you know.

The very tip of the friend pyramid is your Best Friend. This person you can go long times with out talking to but the second you see them it’s like no time has gone past. Ladies if you don’t know whom your very best friend is, since we tend to have 5 best friends. Think about getting married. The guy or why is not really important. Who is the first person that you ask to be a bridesmaid. That is your very best friend. A best friend is someone you can do hang out with and have no plans and you still have fun because you are hanging out together. They can be polar opposites of you but you still get one another. My best friend is very conservative, from a tiny town in South Texas, and totally different from me, but we get along so well despite all of that. If the friendship pyramid corresponded with the food pyramid a best friend would definitely be the refined sugar at the very top.

Tell me about your friends, do you agree with my friendship assessment. Or am I just insane. Let me know in the comments.

-Andrea out.