Do people only associate with others like themselves

This is rather judgemental! Plenty of people with diverse jobs / backgrounds still have common interests and may become friends as a result. I certainly have some very diverse friendships groups acquired via various sporting hobbies and voluntary work.

Anybody that said she "wanted one" would be instantly not a friend of mine, and certainly wouldn't be getting a lesson or a careful explaining. You don't make friends based on the colour of somebody's skin.

Sorry. Didn't mean it to come across that way. It's just that I have a very diverse friendship group and the ignorance and general twattery I get from white middle class people drives me to distraction. Comments about why and how I can be friends with people who are not like me. Even, as I said in my post, people who are desperate to have a black friend.

Don’t start with talking about race in socio-economic groups? Well it’s a very real subject even if you are uncomfortable and don’t want anyone else to discuss it.

It is fact that race plays a HUGE part in terms of the ongoing inequalities and disparities that POC face. It affects their education, job prospects, ability to access healthcare and living conditions to name a few. I wonder what percentage of MN are white compared to POC?

My step sister had her first at 15. I think we come from similar backgrounds 😀

Some people just “friends” /“mates” interchangeably.

My step-sister became a grandmother at 36 / 37 (Iforget the exact age.)

All my friends are completely different. My only rule is no arseholes.

I think it was meant for @Imcomingovertoyourplace Sorry, didn't mean to quote you.

Love the use of "MC 'friends'", and WC 'mates'." This thread just keeps on giving.

Well I know a lot of people who are like me in certain ways. Eg my friends from work all work in the same field (qualified professionals) but that’s the only thing in common. “Mum friends” have children in common but a variety of different jobs & SAHMs - although we all live in the same village as well.
Then old school and uni friends who are more varied in terms of jobs, family, background, and location. Although any old school friends all grew up in the same quite well-off town so had solidly MC family backgrounds. Uni would be more varied I guess.

Don't start with that. I once met someone who wanted to know how I became friends with black people because she wanted one 🙄
I carefully explained that it was the same as making any other friends. I gave her the example that I worked with someone, we got on well, I left, we kept in touch, we're now proper friends not just work colleagues. Its that simple. Well that and not being an idiot.
I thought most people collect friends as they go through life.

Back to the first comment on the thread, my uncle became a grandad at 34.

That’s not how I socialise (I do hike but none of my family are interested in that.)

And nope - my best friend from school days would never have the money to go and grab a coffee. Moot point as we have lived in different cities for years and she could nor afford to travel between them.

Most of my friends from childhood I lost touch with and I just don’t enjoy the same things my family so (and vice versa£

And… I have a LD. So thank you for making fun of disabled people. Well done you 👏🏼

Omg....your comprehension is shocking.

I don’t.

My close friends range from:

• Female friend in recovery from serious addiction - child free
• Female piercer (heavily tattooed lesbian) - 2 children
• Male local politician - child free

• Male medical consultant - 1 child
• Male civil engineering contractor - child free

I’m a civil engineer myself, married to a professional with a doctorate with 2 children.

The conversations on our nights out are varied, and lovely.

How close are you to people you have met invthe pub? How did you all get talking?
I am intrigued by this- I can't imagine going to a local pub and from that developing a close group of diverse friends. Sounds great!

My social circle is people who are similar to me. People with enough spare cash to enjoy lunch out, shopping, theatre. Politically left of centre. Mostly female, mostly educated to at least university level. I also work in a school, so my ‘work friends’ have the same socio-economic profile. Outside of my social circle, and work life, I enjoy singing in a choir, and doing Pilates twice a week, both of which are MC and female dominated pursuits.

110%.

WC people don't want to go for walks in the fresh air, or grab a coffee? I would class these as ordinary things, that you don't need a huge salary to do?

But you said you live in a town with thousands of people and have not met them all or made friends with all them.. so why do you expect this Poster to have done that?

Yes, generally speaking the people I consider friends or close acquaintances are similar to me. I've got friends from school and uni, some I met through work and some through the kids. I wouldn't consider people I talk to occasionally at the pub, school pick up, gym, hairdressers etc as part of my social circle.