When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends.
—Japanese Proverb
Ever meet someone whose company was questionable at best, and think, “Why does this person hang out with these people?”
One may immediately think of the “friends” in question, people who prove to be stupid, superficial, unpleasant at best. Ultimately, however, the truth lies in the key person who keeps such company. The aphorisms have never been more true.
In the case of questionable company, the answer is attention. A person with a motley crew of friends, each one unlike the next, and each one consistent in their lack of social skills, is most likely a person who is after attention.
The reasons for this are as plentiful as they are varied. Some are only comfortable when they are around others. Others enjoy the feeling of being a person who knows everyone. And some are so subconsciously insecure as to need such company to believe they’re of some value. So, to understand the seemingly eclectic taste in people of the key person, one must look to his or her company.
And often that proves to be more revealing than anything else.
Hmm. My friends have a sick sense of humour, many people either love them for their jokes or hate them because they’re scary. They also make fun of me a lot.
Does that mean I like being hurt? Am I masochistic?
Not really.. :\
But I see what you mean… At least I don’t hang out with losers. ;)
There’s a rather crude line between a friend and an acquaintance. If you like/love your friends enough to truly call them friends, than anything else, whether they make fun of you, embarrass you, tease you, is irrelevant. The only losers are the ones who have no real friends, who don’t understand what friendship is, who are too superficial to know anyone beyond their name, their face, and their job.