An ideal friend What is an ideal friend like? What personal attributes he or she needs to have so that you could have a strong bond with them? The number of traits one wants to see in a friend can be enormous. Tolerance, loyalty, empathy, kindness - the list could go on forever. It goes without contradiction that these qualities are important, but in my view, an intimate friendship is based on mutual love for each other. And love doesn't necessarily mean a desire to marry a person and have children with them. By "love" I mean that feeling when you can't but show a heartfelt sympathy for your buddy, make him look on the bright side whenever he seems to be down in the dumps, share his joviality and tolerate his faults or changes of heart. I intend to believe that a geniune friendship reveals all the best qualities in us. Even if you consider yourself an unfeeling person, unable to show affection for other people, it will change when a right person comes across your way. When you are overflowed with unconditional love for somebody you can't but reveal the most beautiful traits of your character which set you apart from other people. So, in my view, an ideal friend is simply a caring one.