Is there really a difference between a family friend and a normal friend?
Find out more about family friend vs friend right here.
The world revolves around relationships and one of such that is very vital is friendship.
A world without friends is unimaginable.
As close as friends may be or seem, not all are close.
Hence the difference in friends.
Friends are always in categories, some are very close while others are just there.
Let’s take a brief look at family friends and normal friends in detail.
Difference between family friend & normal friend
Over the years, what determines the level of friendship and its category is the level of closeness, trust, and commitment.
With this, people can distinguish between close friends, best friends, and friends.
While these may work so well for those categories of friends, it’s a little bit dicey when it comes to the difference between family friends and normal friends.
To start with, let’s attempt to define these two friendship types.
Perhaps, we can get the difference right away.
Family friend, just as it sounds means a friend of the family.
It may mean someone well known and accepted by the entire family as an ally to the family.
We all have people like this who are friends to the entire family.
They often share the same belief and opinions with the family as a whole.
On the other hand, a normal friend is a pal to someone.
They have a level of communication and share some form of bond.
For a normal friend, the bond is not too deep but they have a level of bias towards one another.
At least, they can defend each other in situations.
As you read this, you probably can count your normal friends, right?
The closeness and commitment may not be deep but it’s there.
From our brief description, it’s clear that a family friend is a friend to the entire family as a whole while a normal friend is a friend to one person (a member of the family).
So, the question is first about who you are friends with if you are having a hard time placing whether you are a family friend or a normal friend.
Also, there is a difference in what these categories of friends know and who they interact with.
Family friend knows about the family and interacts with them all.
Normal friend only knows about the individual he is a friend to and interacts with.
This is a major experiential difference between a normal friend and a family friend.
If you are in any of the categories to a family or friend, you will understand
Some people have identified family friends as an upgrade of the normal friend.
Sometimes an individual can begin by being a friend of a family member and through his regular visit to the family, he may establish a connection with the family.
Over time, he begins to flow with the family as a whole and with every member.
At such a point, he may bag the tag family friend.
You may have seen a friend to a family member that has gained so much trust and acceptance that they refer to him as a family.
Such is the type of person in this regard.
Hope this helps you differentiate between a family friend & a normal friend!