Optimal number of friends

[RainDog]

I need a high number of friends to support my alcoholism.
I don't enjoy drinking alone so I need to be sure that there is at least one person available at any given hour of the week to knock back a few cold ones.

I also enjoy the social validation of having lots of attractive girls in my friend group. They are also nice to look at and every once in a while...

These are all good people that I genuinely like and care about. The problem is that I need more than a healthy dose of alone time so I often end up ignoring my cell phone.

[XXXNoahXXX]

peachy,

my only hate is for your lack of paragraphs.

[fluorescenthippo]

2-3 real close friends and 2-3 good friends

[Duke]

[ QUOTE ]
quids, I might be wrong, but you strike me as the high end. Can you provide a number for reference?

A big reason for this is that I feel like I enjoy being alone much more than most people and I'm trying to verify.

[/ QUOTE ]

You were feeling like a hermit, so you came to their mecca to find out if you're really that bad?

With 3 friends you will be ahead of the game on this board.

[J.A.K.]

[ QUOTE ]
wow, some of the 1st few posts here are kinda shocking to me. Of course I have 3 to 5 very very close friends, and 1 BEST friend aside from my boyfriend, but then tons of "regular" friends.

[/ QUOTE ]

FYP

[guids]

[ QUOTE ]
quids, I might be wrong, but you strike me as the high end. Can you provide a number for reference?

A big reason for this is that I feel like I enjoy being alone much more than most people and I'm trying to verify.

[/ QUOTE ]

I grew up w/ 5 really good friends, we are all within about the same age range, and have hung out since I was old enough to hang out in our neighborhood. One of them I hang out with daily, one is away at law school, one is married (so I dont see him much), one is in the navy, and one is super busy at some investment firm, we all email/text probably on a weekly basis, I consider these guys my best friends as any one of us would take a bullet for eachother. I also have 2 best friends that I met at my first job about 10 years ago that I hang out on w/ pretty much everyday (some of my original friends also worked with us). So basically I have about 7 very very good friends that Id go out of my way for in any situation and vice versa (need a place to stay for a month? no problem, need to jump a guy thats messing with your gf? great, Im in...need help moving? what time?), and see 3 or them on a daily basis, I wouldnt consider these guys just "friends" though, they are like family. And then basically us 7 guys have made friends over the years, that we have brought into the "group", so I have about 15 to 20 guys that, while I wouldnt necessarily take a bullet for, or let them take advantage of me, I consider them friends, and probably see once a week. Than I also have a group of guys that I party/drink/hit the strip clubs up with, we have a good time, but its very superficial, nice guys, but no loyalty.

[peachy]

[ QUOTE ]
peachy,

my only hate is for your lack of paragraphs.

[/ QUOTE ]

sorry [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] was on a few tables, im sure there are a ton of misspellings too. forgive me!!!

[The DaveR]

[ QUOTE ]
EV of friends(number of friends = X) = -1.96X^2+20.4X+44.3


Ill let you take it from there

[/ QUOTE ]

It's as if you're doing problem sets on second order non-linear fitting and your goggles are permanently tinted.

[The DaveR]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
quids, I might be wrong, but you strike me as the high end. Can you provide a number for reference?

A big reason for this is that I feel like I enjoy being alone much more than most people and I'm trying to verify.

[/ QUOTE ]

I grew up w/ 5 really good friends, we are all within about the same age range, and have hung out since I was old enough to hang out in our neighborhood. One of them I hang out with daily, one is away at law school, one is married (so I dont see him much), one is in the navy, and one is super busy at some investment firm, we all email/text probably on a weekly basis, I consider these guys my best friends as any one of us would take a bullet for eachother. I also have 2 best friends that I met at my first job about 10 years ago that I hang out on w/ pretty much everyday (some of my original friends also worked with us). So basically I have about 7 very very good friends that Id go out of my way for in any situation and vice versa (need a place to stay for a month? no problem, need to jump a guy thats messing with your gf? great, Im in...need help moving? what time?), and see 3 or them on a daily basis, I wouldnt consider these guys just "friends" though, they are like family. And then basically us 7 guys have made friends over the years, that we have brought into the "group", so I have about 15 to 20 guys that, while I wouldnt necessarily take a bullet for, or let them take advantage of me, I consider them friends, and probably see once a week. Than I also have a group of guys that I party/drink/hit the strip clubs up with, we have a good time, but its very superficial, nice guys, but no loyalty.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sure, I've got like 8 people like that too, but we're not in regular contact. I think shared history is different. I'm talking about time in your life and a willingness to devote that time specific to a group of people constantly, if that makes sense.

[The DaveR]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
quids, I might be wrong, but you strike me as the high end. Can you provide a number for reference?

A big reason for this is that I feel like I enjoy being alone much more than most people and I'm trying to verify.

[/ QUOTE ]

You were feeling like a hermit, so you came to their mecca to find out if you're really that bad?

With 3 friends you will be ahead of the game on this board.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am a hermit. I flew to NY this weekend and spent it alone with the exception of bagels and coffee with a college buddy this morning. I spent more time with a salesman at Barney's than I did with people I know here.