You can be “friends” with someone for years,
and it can also take years to realize
they were never your friend.
Most people in today’s world don’t understand the difference between a friend and an acquaintance. Even if you have known someone for 30 years, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are your friend. It can take years, and many times, special circumstances, for you to really know who is your friend and who is simply an acquaintance, or even an enemy who has been dormant for years.
You can be “friends” with someone for years, and it can also take years to realize they were never your friend. You can even go your entire life thinking someone is your friend, when in fact that person truly dislikes you and your demise would make his or her day.
As the old Norse saying goes, you don’t know your friends from your foes until the ice breaks. You can take this wisdom a step further and say that if they ice never breaks, you may never know what truly lies in someone’s heart. Always beware of trusting someone too much until you know for a fact that he or she is solid; then remember that you most likely never truly know for 100%.
Be friendly and courteous, but be very slow in believing that someone is your trusted friend. True friendship must be proven in order for you to truly depend on it in a life-or-death situation. Take care that you don’t get blindsided just when you need a friend most.
