How many best friends do you have?

Just one. I'm a loner and extreme introvert.

Just my wife, I suppose. I think I really only had a real best friend when I was ~5. He was the one I did a running hug with (from that other survey).
"best" implies I compare and rank my friends and I really don't. I have some old friends who I still like very much. Most of them I am fairly out of touch with. I have some newer friends (mostly online -- these are hard to classify). Otherwise, I seem to be not in the most friendly period in my life. Though, historically speaking, I seem to have have had many friends and people I've liked and still like very much. My facebook page proves this to me. Also, that list of wedding I just made. But, it feels a little sad because I'm out of touch and more isolated in my current situation.

'Best' - I have many friends

Bill, it warms my heart when you say your wife is your best friend. Your wife is a lucky woman to have you.

I was about to say 1, but really it's three. There's four of us who get on really well and have hung out since were 10, but I'm particularly close with the other girl in the group - we have been best friends since we were 8 years old.

maybe 3-4 close friends for many years.............. i don't know that i would call them best friends but they are my true blue friends who have proven they will always be there for me!

Four. 3 friends + 2 family member friends (thus I averaged).

I think a 'best friend' is not a matter of scale, but rather a type of friend, the sort you would call if you were concerned about a strange dream you had or something. You can have someone you play tennis with, discuss work with, go to bars with, and see more than anyone else, but which still don't fit the definition of a best friend.

I guess 2 ...My Best Man and still close friend and my wife

That's a good point. Put that way, only my wife qualifies. But, I have this friend from college (Joachim) that comes to mind. We had been college roommates but also were out of touch for periods. We still don't see each other very often but we exchange long emails every month or two. And, they can be just great. He's really funny (very sarcastic/smart) and I think I'm also funny when I write back to him. And, we have some common interests like video games (which includes a long history playing so tons of context and references we can make). But, we talk about other things like books/literature/authors/politics/global warming too, some big themes. He's not a "best friend", but I see him as this great friend I have that I treasure (though, I'd never admit it to him ). But, it makes me think that "best friend" is to narrow a definition and just doesn't apply to me so well at this stage in my life.

5.

> Bill, it warms my heart when you say your wife is your best friend.
> Your wife is a lucky woman to have you.


Yes, yes I am!

I have four close friends, but only one is my best friend.

Jen, it's rare for a man to share about his love for his wife as Bill has always about you...cherish it every day...I know you do. God bless!

Strange that the author ofSC might be in that position, but I could see it happening myself. I have people here bordering on good friends that I would miss but get over. They are more like thematic conversation channels though, even if I'm composing to them in my head when I'm not here.
I require that my mate be a best friend (a mutually intimate confidante). A lot of people don't. My ex was sort of one of them, which drove me to emotional affairs.
In general I've learned over the years to make everyone I meet as close a friend as I can even if I know I won't be seeing them again. Life is a lot better when people make an effort to care about each other even when they don't care for persona and subject matter.

I don't really like being asked who is my best friend, even though it is obvious who I have known the longest and spend the most time with.

Best friend is a very strong term and I associated with youth/school. I like the term close friends.I have three very close friends: one has known me most of my life. We can always just pick up where we left off. Another is a more contemporary friend who I tend to be very social with and a third is a colleague from work and our mutual interests are fairly obvious.

My wife is my best friend. My friend Bill is my best buddy.

1. That's the thing about superlatives.

I don't really think of my friendships in that way.

I don't have a lot of friends and I would not classify anyone as best or if there is a best how can you have more that one?