[bobf]

What is a "real friend" then? Many would argue that shared interests or experiences can certainly be the basis of at least some level of friendship.

There are certainly some people who might claim that the label of "real friend" only applies to those you could "trust to help bury a body", or some other extremely unlikely/intense situation. Like most things, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. There are likely varying degrees of friendship. Qualifying them as "real" (or not) comes across more like the informal logical fallacy of an appeal to purity (e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman) than anything.

[sliken]

Real friends will help out, not just greet you in a shared setting. Would they buy you lunch if you forgot your wallet? Loan you their vehicle? Help you move? Visit you in the hospital if you broke your leg? Actively try to help you with life in general?

As the saying goes when the chips are down, you will know who your true friends are.

[nate_meurer]

And it means you often have to discover this the hard way, which can lead to some brutal surprises.