Is it really bad to have few close friends?

A few close friends is more important than a lot of social friends. I think you have your values straight. Sounds like your dad doesn’t agree with you. Too bad. I suppose you could tell him next time he mentions it, that you choose your true friends carefully. You might also talk to your mom about feeling he belittles you.

Your father shouldn’t be telling you that you suck at life. That’s pretty mean. Perhaps he’s jealous that you have people to confide in. He’s probably not very kind to his “friends”, either, if they speak ill of him all the time.

I don’t believe in having lots of friends. Your father was harsh. There’s nothing wrong with having a few close friends. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you.

I can do well with 1 or 2 close friends, instead of having a bunch of friends scattered all over the place, then having to keep up with all of them.

No it’s not bad. Be sure not to abuse them [visiting to often and such]. YOu get to know them much better and they get to know you.

Not at all

I would rather have 3 really close friends whom we both consider part of our extended family rather than 100 friends whom could care less if I lived or died. Like one of my best friends considers me as part of her family, even her mother, brothers and sisters treat me as part of the family. Whenever there is a family event I am always invited to everything as though I am just part of the family. She is there for me for anything as I am for her.

Close friends are the best in my opinion. It’s all cumulative, you’ve been friends for a long time, so you hang out more, and help each other in occasions an acquaintance or social friend wouldn’t, and those bonds grow tighter and tighter.

It’s friendships like those that don’t fade away, and it’s the friends who can make those kinds of friendships that become the cement of your life.

some people dont havet any close friends, so no it’s not bad it lucky.
I have a handful of really close friends and I value that so much.

I think the best thing about being an adult – or almost one – is that there are no rules. Whatever works best for you is what you should do. And you don’t need to accept your parents’ opinions.

You need to figure out what is right for you. A few close friends is fine.

I have two very close friends who I‘ve known for years & trust implicitly, one of whom is my sister, the rest I count as casual friends & then there are those for want of better words, friends with benefits, I count as casual friends because I only see them occasionally….. I keep a tight circle of “Friends” at most, in all ten but only the two are close :-/ That’s quite enough for me…..
It’s your life, it’s your choice.

Quality over quantity has always been my motto.

Often, people that “collect” a bunch of friends are only warehousing others for self serving agendas.

They are less interested in the real person than they are in using them.

A few close friends you can trust outweigh a bunch of acquaintances. Hurrah for you to know the difference between the two. Your father must have his own issues if he thinks there’s anything wrong with you and hopefully you can demote his comments to the outer realms of importance to you.

There’s nothing wrong with just acquaintances either, as long as you know what you can and can’t trust them or rely on them for.

Nope, not bad at all. I have a lot of “friends” but only a small handful of very close friends.

I would rather to have a few close friends to be honest. Acquaintanceship come and go and they are not good friends.

People who have a lot of friends mostly do for the show of it. To feel popular or what not. Having a few close friends that you can rely on and talk to about anything is the way to go.
It’s good to have a lot of acquaintances to hang out with and to get to know different personality types and things.
But when it comes right down to it, I think about who i talk to most when im upset, who makes me laugh when what they said really isnt even that funny, who when they come over i dont have to offer them a drink—heck, they know where the fridge is—and who I know would take a bullet for me anyday. And those few people are the people I like to call my best friends, the rest are just fun to hang around with.

I’ve only had a few close friends and then many people I’m friendly with my whole life.

I’m completely ok with it and you should be too.

You will have a lot of acquaintances almost no matter what. People are everywhere, and incidental relationships are common. But surely no quantity of acquaintances can make up for a life without actual friends. There’s nothing wrong with these relationships—a person who has only this sort of human contact will be spared the insanity that typically plagues hermits—but a life without close friends is rather lonely and unhappy. Indeed, a friendless person who is not a hermit is basically the definition of “alone in a crowd.”

It is not possible, however, to have a lot of close friends. The amount of time it takes to cultivate and then maintain such relationships precludes having more than a few of them. So if it is necessary for a happy life to have close friends, and if it is impossible to have a lot of close friends, then it cannot be bad to have (only) a few close friends. Rather, it seems the best option. And you can tell your father that some of the best minds in history are on your side here (e.g., Aristotle).

You just aren’t popular. Which, can be a good thing or a bad thing. The good thing is that you can be yourself around your friends, and tell them anything. It’s a bad thing because if you want to go out, all your friends could be busy. But, In the long run none of it is really important. Tell your dad that at least you can trust your friends.

No, you just believe in quality over quantity, which is not a bad thing. I would just ignore your father. He is probably jealous and so he has to tear you down to build himself up. If you are happy with your friends, that’s all that matters.