How many REAL friends does the average person have? 4 or 5 is my guess. Everyone else is really an aquaintance.
I’m in my early 40’s, I’ve moved a lot and I find there’s 4 or 5 people I stay in touch with. I’ve changed a very great deal and I find the people I was frends with in my teens and early twenties I very often dislike today.
I’m from the UK and I agree somewhat about the California flakiness thing. Part of the problem is that Americans APPEAR very friendly on the surface. In England or Germany people are much more standoffish until they get to know you.
Europeans mistake the ‘Hey, how’re you doing?’ for genuine friendship and get offended when they are then treated casually.
But in my time in San Diego I’ve made 2 or 3 close American friends. Idon’t hang out with fellow Brits too much (except my next door neighbour). I find Americans generous to a fault usually – but it takes a while to be able to read them…I’ve assumed friendship several times that hasn’t really existed.
The corporate world here is tough as well. I used to get into trouble all the time for being too blunt. Now I’ve learned to agree most of the time regardless of what I think…my girlfriend is from Colorado – she finds the same thing. We come accross as agressive when all we are doing is expressing our honest opinion.
‘Two cultures divided by a common language’ – Oscar Wilde?
