Friend vs Acquaintance
Though many people consider friend and acquaintance as two words that mean the same, there is a difference between friend and acquaintance. Therefore, using one for the other is not correct as friend and acquaintance have two different meanings. A friend is a person who you know by name and who you love too. On the other hand, an acquaintance is with a person who you may not know by name but whom you see now and then and to whom you talk too. This is one of the main differences between friend and acquaintance. This article further explores the difference between friend and acquaintance.
What does Friend mean?
Let us see what the Oxford English dictionary has to say about the word friend. It says a friend is “a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations.” A friend is a person in whom you confide. A friend is someone who is treated better than an acquaintance. ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed’ goes the saying.’ A friend is someone who is treated better than an acquaintance. You treat him with respect. You tell him everything about you and your family. You believe him totally. A friend is a person who would be with you in every moment of your life. You might have happy and joyous moments and sad moments as well. A real friend would stay with you in the moments of your joy and sorrow as well. A friend is always interested in your welfare. He would not want you to commit mistakes and errors. He would want you to be respected.
What does Acquaintance mean?
Now, according to the Oxford English dictionary, an acquaintance is “a person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend.” Unlike in a friend, you do not confide in your acquaintance anything you consider personal. This is also an interesting difference between the two words. You do not expect your acquaintance to do any favor to you. He is a person whom you meet often, in the train, on the road, at your office as a visitor and in other ways. In other words, it can be said that an acquaintance is all about familiarity. You are more familiar with the person with you are acquainted with. Unlike a friend, you do not believe your acquaintance totally. You treat him as you would treat any other person. You cannot expect your acquaintance to remain with you in the moments of your joy and sorrow. An acquaintance is simply not bothered about your welfare. He is not bothered about your well being. Like you, he too meets you in the train, in the park and on the road during morning walks.
What is the difference between Friend and Acquaintance?
• A friend is a person who you know by name and who you love too. On the other hand, an acquaintance is with a person who you may not know by name but whom you see now and then and to whom you talk too.
• You confide in a friend. You do not confide in an acquaintance.
• You can count on your friend for favors, but you do not count on your acquaintance for favors.
• You completely trust a friend; you do not trust an acquaintance in the same manner.
The difference between a friend and an acquaintance is that you can be yourself with a friend, you can say or do any jackass thing that comes to mind and they will not be judgmental. With an acquaintance you always take care to maintain the somewhat unreal image they have of who you are. You can know someone for 30 minutes and have a friend for life, conversely you can know someone for 30 years and remain acquaintances.