Who Has Ever Betrayed A Friend?, or been betrayed by one.

Exactly. This is essential. As close as one might feel to one another...one is still an individual and needs his space or, how Aon says, room to breathe.

A man without friends or a friend is a poor man, isn't he?

That's what I received from a friend recently:

A FRIEND IS ONE
TO WHOM ONE MAY POUR
OUT ALL THE CONTENTS
OFF ONE'S HEART -
CHAFF AND GRAIN TOGETHER -
KNOWING THAT THE
GENTLEST OF HANDS
WILL TAKE AND SIFT IT
KEEP WHAT IS WORTH KEEPING
AND WITH A BREATH OF KINDNESS
BLOW THE REST AWAY.

(Arabian Proverb)

Here is something I got about friends.

Friend,

When you are sad, ...I will get you drunk and help you plot revenge
against the sorry S.O.B. who made you sad.

When you are blue, ....I'll try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

When you smile, ...I'll know you finally got some.

When you are scared, ...I will rag you about it every chance I get.

When you are worried, ...I will tell you horrible stories about how much
worse it could be and to quit whining.

When you are confused, ...I will use little words to explain it to you.

When you are sick, ...stay away from me until you're well again. I don't
want whatever you have.

When you fall, ....I will point and laugh you
This is my oath, ...I pledge 'till the end.

I have never betrayed a friend ( I think). I say I think because sometimes it is in inaction that we are betrayed and not in action.
I had a good friend that I used to go on holiday with over a number of years. We planned to go to New York and were really excited.When planning, a casual friend 's marriage broke up and she seemed very down. To cheer her we invited her along.
Although I loved New York, I was miserable since this casual friend took every opportunity to put me down and made me feel really bad about myself ( didn't really need it cos my self confidence wasn't that great to start with.)
What hurt me more was that my friend made no effort to defend me or to support me. That was the greatest betrayal of all.
Happily I now have friends who accept and like me for what I am and who show the true meaning of friendship especially loyalty.

I have never knowingly betrayed a friend. Not to say that I haven't done it, but I don't know it if I have. I will never have enough friends that I can afford to stab one in the back or turn my back on one when they needed me.

On the other hand, walking in on my now ex-wife in flagrante delicto with the guy that I thought was my best friend from college, I think that rates as betrayal. C'est la vie, c'est l'amour. One lives and learns.

Just my tuppence.

Andy

I was very badly betrayed by a friend a year ago. It has been one of the most painful experiences of my life as I take my friendships very seriously. WE were able to talk things out and forgive one another. I am a very sensitive person and take things to heart and as a result I reacted inappropriately to my hurt by her. We are back being friends to this day, but I think the trust will never return for the both of us.