Where are your friends now?, page 1

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ATS Members have flagged this thread 3 times

Topic started on 17-3-2010 @ 02:43 AM by Stop-loss!

Hello ATS. I would like to talk about the friends that we use to have and the friends that we have now. It seems as the world gets more expensive and hostile with unemployment we are finding ourselves with less friends then we did nearly a decade ago. With less money flowing around we find ourselves saving just to live for another day and have difficulty making friends outside of ATS without a steady cash flow since to make friends you have to get some of the following.

1 Clothes: Sometimes wearing the right outfit can say a lot about your character and make converstation a whole lot easier.

2 Transportation: Lets face it, if you get seen riding a bus to work or other locations you will be deemed a bum or worse. A new car can get you a lot of attention especially if it is a high end model.

3 Education: It is hard to get really good friends if you do not possess good speech or occupation of a job without learning the lessons of life. This one might be the most important of the three and usually requires steady income to obtain.

There is more to the list that I would like to add but I feel that someone here can come up with better examples. With this said could it be that one of the reasons for TPTB to make the economy worse is to make sure that we do not have friends so that we can become isolated and not talk about such hard pressing issues that plague us today? or to keep us at home and watch MSM news to believe everything they tell us and not have confirmation from other friends?

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 02:59 AM by kaleshchand

The most important thing is do you have "real friends" or just "friends"? A real friend is far better than 100 friends.
If a someone will consider you a friend if you are in a car, but not if you are in a bus, they are not a real friend.
If someone will consider you a friend if you have money but not if you don't, they are not a friend.
Real friends are there for you whether you have a car or bus, have money or not, economy is good or not.

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 03:03 AM by Stop-loss!

Originally posted by kaleshchand
The most important thing is do you have "real friends" or just "friends"? A real friend is far better than 100 friends.
If a someone will consider you a friend if you are in a car, but not if you are in a bus, they are not a real friend.
If someone will consider you a friend if you have money but not if you don't, they are not a friend.
Real friends are there for you whether you have a car or bus, have money or not, economy is good or not.

The only real friends I have are here with me in Iraq because we have nothing except each other. Other then that there are other type of friendships as well.

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 03:14 AM by Grey Magic

reply to post by kaleshchand

I agree to that but also with what the OP is saying, having lived a more luxurious lifestyle for the past 2 years I have lost friends who have far less money to spend, and I did absolutely nothing to make that happen, except the fact that I had more to spend I didn't go out more a lot but redecorated my home to home cinema.

From that time on some friends didn't show up anymore, it is one of the many reasons I quit my job recently.

Welcome to the different economic classes, can you imagine how it must be high up there?

The people who have everything and want everything are the most empty inside, be glad we're different.

Edit to answer the question more defined, my friends are there when I need them, but this world hasn't spared much of them and I can frankly say I don't have many left.

And bad experiences make it hard to trust new ones.

[edit on 17-3-2010 by Grey Magic]

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 03:16 AM by LostNemesis

I wonder if some of us here at ATS are like me, and just find it difficult to befriend people.

Really, I can't speak for everyone, but I can only handle so much time with the friends that can't think about the world around them with an open mind.

Sure, one can try to avoid topics like war and Israel. But when they come up, it seems like most can only repeat what the news tells them is going on. It's sad to me.

I don't think money has much to do with anything, personally. But I could be wrong. Just seems, between what few friends I have, it is a non-issue. We're drawn together as gamers. And people with similar sarcasm/sense of humor.

But then, I am too different from anyone else to come to any conclusion.

I agree with the other poster... One or two GOOD FRIENDS can leave someone feeling a lot less empty and lonely than hundreds of fake friends.

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 03:19 AM by liquidsmoke206

I'm confused....

yer list has nothing to do with making friends...

it's more of a "yer not getting laid unless you cover this list" kind of list....
then again...i wear the same jeans everyday, drive a 91 tempo, or take the bus, and even dropped out of high school....and I've scored with some pretty amazing talent over the years!! LOL.

if you don't have friends it's either cuz yer a tool, or yer just not very outgoing.

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 03:29 AM by Stop-loss!

Originally posted by liquidsmoke206
I'm confused....

yer list has nothing to do with making friends...

it's more of a "yer not getting laid unless you cover this list" kind of list....
then again...i wear the same jeans everyday, drive a 91 tempo, or take the bus, and even dropped out of high school....and I've scored with some pretty amazing talent over the years!! LOL.

if you don't have friends it's either cuz yer a tool, or yer just not very outgoing.

It is true that the type of friends you get depend on your location and possessions. Whether you live in the ghetto or the suburbs will make a difference on what type of friends you have or if they are real good friends.

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 03:30 AM by LostNemesis

reply to post by liquidsmoke206

Dunno how hard it is for dudes to "score", but that seems (to me) to be a LOT less of a challenge than someone you can hang out with repeatedly.

err....lol
(maybe dudes are just easy)

Still though, yeah, his list really doesn't seem that important. At least not in this day and age, and to most of the "general population". Most of which, are happy to be getting by.

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 03:32 AM by Stop-loss!

reply to post by LostNemesis

I also stated that someone here can maybe come up with some better examples so lets start there. Anyone think they can come up with a more accurate way?

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 03:34 AM by KRISKALI777

reply to post by Stop-loss!

People fall by the wayside everyday.
You come into and go out of this world alone.
Its only in crisis (live\die) situations that you realize how deluded you were in granting absolute trust, to most.
Of course there are those small percentages of extraordinarily compassionate humans; are you one?

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 03:39 AM by Stop-loss!

Originally posted by KRISKALI777
reply to post by Stop-loss!

People fall by the wayside everyday.
You come into and go out of this world alone.
Its only in crisis (live\die) situations that you realize how deluded you were in granting absolute trust, to most.
Of course there are those small percentages of extraordinarily compassionate humans; are you one?

I have given to those that I trust and sometimes things don't go as planned but it is easy to make real friends when you are honest about yourself and have nothing to hide. I don't hide my flaws because everyone has a flaw that is easily detectable but sometimes trust is tested to seperate real friends from fake ones.

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 03:40 AM by LostNemesis

reply to post by Stop-loss!

Examples? Oh, sorry.

Lol.

Really, just like your example... Your friends being beside you in Iraq. I think all it comes down to is common interests.
But that's just me.
The people I tend to keep around are fellow gamers.

Bible-thumpers tend to hang with fellow bible-thumpers.

I think humans are really very simple and predictable.

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 03:48 AM by KRISKALI777

reply to post by Stop-loss!

Of course there are those small percentages of extraordinarily compassionate humans; are you one?

That was a rhetorical question Pal! Not aimed specifically at you; yet, for the thread reader at large.
Anyone bereft of emotional intelligence would not put together a thread such as this!I.E: Complementing YOU!
Apologies if it came across wrong.
Peace.
KK

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 03:49 AM by Stop-loss!

Originally posted by LostNemesis
reply to post by Stop-loss!

Examples? Oh, sorry.

Lol.

Really, just like your example... Your friends being beside you in Iraq. I think all it comes down to is common interests.
But that's just me.
The people I tend to keep around are fellow gamers.

Bible-thumpers tend to hang with fellow bible-thumpers.

I think humans are really very simple and predictable.

Perhaps you are right. Since I have my crew watching my back when on missions it all comes down to relying on each other to make it another day and that just might be the best kind of friendship you can have. Even when TPTB come up with some BS there are friends to keep you spirits up on dark days.

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 03:53 AM by KRISKALI777

reply to post by Stop-loss!

Mind you, I also hadn't taken account for where you are!
I was referring to the everyday humdrum of dog eat dog society; in you situation its different; you must rely on your friends.
hats off to you and God speed!

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 03:56 AM by XXXN3O

reply to post by Stop-loss!

I used to have quite a lot of so called "friends", a lot of them began taking drugs and im speaking about speed, ecstacy etc.

The last time I remember being out with them, there was 6 of them playing a game of tag in a pub completely blitzed out of there heads (mid twenties), while one of them spoke to me. I dont feel comfortable around that type of behaviour and decided it was in my best interests not to keep their company after my drink was spiked for a "laugh" by one of them and I took an adverse reaction to it.

Some friends eh?

Long story short however and its taken me a long time to find a good friend who I can trust.

I found that recently in someone who is almost my polar opposite.

I am a christian, they are an athiest.

They have a job, I recently found myself unemployed.

I enjoy fishing, they enjoy Dj'ing.

In short, the opposite interests I have are the things they want to learn how to do and the things I havent done are things I want to learn about.

One thing in common I do have with this actual friend is the same experience with others turning to drugs and we both enjoy a good debate at times.

Gonna be asking the guy to be my best man shortly as well. Never thought I would have a great friend again to be honest.

I would say to others not to give up as there are others out there who are not as blinded as you might think or as shallow to judge you by your circumstances.

As far as my old buddies go, a few of them have died from overdoses, some in drink driving incidents etc. Its a shame really, I always thought it would be a fase but its turned into a lifestyle for them that I refuse to submit too.

[edit on 17-3-2010 by XXXN3O]

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 03:57 AM by Stop-loss!

Originally posted by KRISKALI777
reply to post by Stop-loss!

Mind you, I also hadn't taken account for where you are!
I was referring to the everyday humdrum of dog eat dog society; in you situation its different; you must rely on your friends.
hats off to you and God speed!

Thanks KRISKALI. I might find it hard to make friends when I return to the states next month but as stated from some posters above I might not need any of these possessions to make good friends.

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 04:02 AM by Stop-loss!

Originally posted by XXXN3O
reply to post by Stop-loss!

I used to have quite a lot of so called "friends", a lot of them began taking drugs and im speaking about speed, ecstacy etc.

The last time I remember being out with them, there was 6 of them playing a game of tag in a pub completely blitzed out of there heads (mid twenties), while one of them spoke to me. I dont feel comfortable around that type of behaviour and decided it was in my best interests not to keep their company after my drink was spiked for a "laugh" by one of them and I took an adverse reaction to it.

Some friends eh?

Long story short however and its taken me a long time to find a good friend who I can trust.

I found that recently in someone who is almost my polar opposite.

I am a christian, they are an athiest.

They have a job, I recently found myself unemployed.

I enjoy fishing, they enjoy Dj'ing.

In short, the opposite interests I have are the things they want to learn how to do and the things I havent done are things I want to learn about.

One thing in common I do have with this actual friend is the same experience with others turning to drugs and we both enjoy a good debate at times.

Gonna be asking the guy to be my best man shortly as well. Never thought I would have a great friend again to be honest.

I would say to others not to give up as there are others out there who are not as blinded as you might think.

[edit on 17-3-2010 by XXXN3O]

Thank you for your honest reply. before I deployed I made friends from playing PS3 but as I left the states I have not heard from a single one and probably think im dead, but ill see if they are still around or are probably feeling the sting of bad times and don't want to be friends anymore.

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 04:10 AM by KRISKALI777

reply to post by Stop-loss!

well believe it or not; there are some individuals abroad, whom, although hate the concept of war and the plotting of Govts,
Respect what soldiers like yourself and your peers are doing; if all goes as it should- may you return as Hero's, and be treated as such!
Good luck to you and your company my friend.
KK

reply posted on 17-3-2010 @ 04:23 AM by XXXN3O

reply to post by Stop-loss!

Theres plenty of ways you can meet people...

attending local events, public houses, taking up a hobby or classes in a new or existing interest, fishing, sports clubs, go for walks, volunteering ( could be as simple as helping someone with a flat tyre not neccesarily saving the world

)

Making a good friend can be daunting as you need to throw yourself out of your comfort zone. You've already did that by going to Iraq so I am sure you wont have a problem there.

Its ironic that in a world where we can communicate with someone at the other end of the world, the majority of us are lonely.

Good luck for the future.

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