"My Friend..."

[TooCurious]

Over the past few weeks, I've begun taking notice of a certain form of address, and really thinking about its implications. I've seen it used a few times by people here on these forums, and on the national stage in the American presidential campaign. It seems innocuous enough at first, but when I got to thinking about it, I realized why it rubs me the wrong way.

When I refer to someone as "my friend," I mean something very specific. If I consider someone a friend, that person is someone I know pretty well, someone I typically enjoy spending time with, someone who enriches my life by their presence in it, and someone I would miss if they went away. To me, a "friend" is someone I wouldn't mind getting a phone call from at 3am because he was distraught and needed an understanding ear, or a ride home, or a place to spend the night.

When someone uses the phrase "my friend" as a term of address to refer to someone he doesn't actually know in an effort to foster an illusion of cameraderie, I feel that it cheapens the concept of friendship. It assumes an unwarranted, inappropriate, and sometimes unwelcome level of familiarity. It feels condescending and disingenuous. If a person is willing to call a perfect stranger "my friend," what sort of value does he place on friendship?

Thoughts?

 

[stan1980]

Over the past few weeks, I've begun taking notice of a certain form of address, and really thinking about its implications. I've seen it used a few times by people here on these forums, and on the national stage in the American presidential campaign. It seems innocuous enough at first, but when I got to thinking about it, I realized why it rubs me the wrong way.

When I refer to someone as "my friend," I mean something very specific. If I consider someone a friend, that person is someone I know pretty well, someone I typically enjoy spending time with, someone who enriches my life by their presence in it, and someone I would miss if they went away. To me, a "friend" is someone I wouldn't mind getting a phone call from at 3am because he was distraught and needed an understanding ear, or a ride home, or a place to spend the night.

When someone uses the phrase "my friend" as a term of address to refer to someone he doesn't actually know in an effort to foster an illusion of cameraderie, I feel that it cheapens the concept of friendship. It assumes an unwarranted, inappropriate, and sometimes unwelcome level of familiarity. It feels condescending and disingenuous. If a person is willing to call a perfect stranger "my friend," what sort of value does he place on friendship?

Thoughts?

Oh c'mon!

Seriously though, I hate it too, my friend. (sorry had to do it before someone else did!)

 

[Holy Roller]

My friends, there's this huuuuuuuuuuge billboard for Tecate lager outside the front of SDSU that reads, "Stay Thirsty, My Friends!"