For me it's friends.

My family mostly doesn't give a s*** about me. Without friends I'd have nothing.

I'd have to say that family is most important to me.  My own family is... well more than a little screwed up, but I love them all the same.

And I don't have any real life friends, but if I did, I'd still say they were less important than my family.  Family is family no matter what goes down.  I know there are awful families out there, and mine is far from perfect, but I'd always be willing to take a bullet for them.

Family. These people are blood to you. But they grew up with you. You may say you hate them but deep inside there is an. "I love you." In there.

I say whoever treats you better.

If your family sucks then you're going to be drawn to your friends more. If you lack friends your family may be the only thing that keeps you going.

I personally say family though because I have an awesome family.

geeogree said what I was going to. For me id say its a 50/50 split.
It would depend what family member or what friend.

Singelli : No real life friends?  How do you manage that?  You have to meet people at some point, whether through work or doing things outside or shopping at a grocery store.

And there's no one out there you're interested in spending time with, either romantically or platonically?  Male or female?

I don't understand.  Fill me in, if you please.

warmaker :  Just because I meet people doesn't mean they're my friends.  LOL  I deal with over 200 people every day at work alone, on a daily basis... but that doesn't mean we're chummy or I go and do things with them.

My parents were very strict and never let us children go out and do anything.  I was shy and reserved, and brought up in a MUCH more strict environment than my peers.  My extreme shyness and the fact that we moved every three years (military dad) meant that there was no time for making friends.  I ended up dating a guy I tutored because his mom made him take me to prom, but the guy was a jerk (physically and mentally).  Because I had never been able to make friends, I thought there was something about me people couldn't stand (my goody two- shoe nature, or my looks, or the fact that my parents weren't exactly well off), and I thought I could never possibly be loved.  So I stuck with the guy for a long time, thinking he was my only chance, and in love with idea of 'being in love'.  I was young and didn't recognize the symptoms, thinking I was in love with the guy.

3.5 years later I woke up and dumped him after a particularly abusive (mentally and emotionally, that time) night.  Trying to keep the long story as short as possible, I went through a whole bunch of things when my twin moved in with me, met some guy online, and now we're married.  Once I got married funds and ways of transport became much more limited, and I still have the 'shy bug'.  Most people tend to think that just because I'm Christian, I don't know how to have fun.  They don't understand that there is such a thing as clean fun.

And besides that, after 25 years of not knowing how to, or not being able to, make friends?  Well.... I don't have any.  I talk with my co-workers every now and then, sure.  But that's about as far as my communication with people face to face goes.  I go to work and do my job, then come home and work some more.  (grading, writing lesson plans, tutoring kids online, etc etc.)

My husband does almost all our shopping, and because I'm so reclusive (and a meek person), I tend to just walk alongside him and I let him handle any interactions (such as the cashier).

So I do have my husband as my friend, but he's now in the family category. LOL

warmaker : As someone who has had many friendships come and go and come again I would say family is the most important thing in one’s life. My family has been through more than our share of hardship and struggle and it has been very trying and difficult at times but we are there for each other. Some friends are there as well but it isn’t the same as family.

To me, it is definitely family. And here is my reasoning for saying family is more important than friends: you have known your family a heck of a lot longer than you have known your friends, at least in most cases.

Depends on your "friends" and family. For some, their family doesn't really love or support them, and they need friends to provide affection. For me it's the opposite; My family is the best, and everyone else is a piece of $#!+. Uh, no offense. 

It shall always be family for me. Heck, I would risk my life for the family dog because she is apart of the family just as well. Of course, this is mainly the immediate family. My extended family I love and all, but their interactions are limited with me, only two or three actually seek to know me outside of the usual gatherings, though I consider them both friends as well, haha.

I also have my best friend who is "like" family, as she comes over almost every day, hangs out with my mother and helps her with the dog and other errands (my mother has MS and is on disability). I would not say she comes first over other friends though, as she does not like to go out much and thus, just tells me to have fun, haha.

I do not really have too many friends I truly hang out with much; just a small handful that I hang with once in awhile and another handful I simply keep in contact with on facebook. Because of this, family easily comes first with very little competition, haha.

I always put my family first. Friends will come and go, you make new ones, and possibly connect with old ones. However, for me, my family has always been there to support me through thick and thin. They mean everything to me. Don't get me wrong though, I have a couple friends who I have known all my life, and I still talk to them. I have a friend who use to have cancer, and I would always visit her in the hospital, and we would have a great time together. She has recovered recently from her cancer, and she is my best friend. But my family raised me to be the person I am today, and they always took care of me. Friends and family always mean a lot to me, its just my family was always there for me, when I felt so lonely.

Family. They will always be there with you even if they don't want to be sometimes. Friends come and go but family is permanent. I can tell my family things that I could never tell my friends. And no matter how annoying or mean you might be, they will still stand by you. At least my family will. Were crazy and proud of it.

Family is very important, but only few friends ever become more important than family.
The subject here is one for debate.

I value my family over my friends, mostly because the friends who are close to me are essentially family, and some of the others who aren't as close are just my friends.

I like what geogree said, I personally value both of them greatly, but I value my family over my friends, they always come first, and whereas friends may come and go, your family will always be there for you in the toughest of times. I think that if one of them doesn't involve you or you don't feel like they include you or they ignore you, then go to your friends or whoever you are close to. But I do believe friends are very important, and some really good ones you may even consider family. I have alot of good friends, and I really value my family more though, no matter how much of a pain they can really be.

I would choose my family. Yes we fight and no.. nothing is perfect. But I love them so much and I would do anything for them. I only have a couple of true 'real' life friends but I wouldn't choose them over my family first.



Bintsy