The Pre-Friendship Fight
We got into a heated argument at the pub while tipsy and stepped outside to "settle it." He almost knocked me out, but I caught him in a rear chokehold and ended the fight. By the time we went back to the bar, we were friends. He asked me to teach him the chokehold, and I asked where he learned to box. Since then, we’ve been training together and built a solid friendship.
On the Surface
We’re simple guys who don’t need much. One of my best friends is Tücsi, and before our wedding, when my wife showed me the invitations, I asked who Bertalan Tűzombori was. She couldn’t believe I didn’t know since he was one of my groomsmen. It turned out Tücsi was his nickname—I just never knew his real name. For me, he’s been Tücsi—or sometimes Berci—for 15 years. Like I said: simple souls.
Hunting Accidents
We get along easily. I think it’s because, back in the day, men hunted together, and anyone who didn’t fit in or couldn’t get along risked becoming a hunting accident victim. Makes sense—there’s no room for a weak link when taking down a mammoth. That’s why we don’t hold grudges, and even if we’re annoyed with each other, we still work well together.
The Game
We were watching a Champions League match with friends at a bar, and everyone except me was rooting for the other team. I noticed a guy at the bar pumping his fist in the air when my team scored, so I went over and we celebrated together. That’s how my deepest friendship started.
Letting Go
From what I’ve seen, female friendships need almost everything to align to work. For us, it takes very little, and even if we argue, we quickly forget. Women remember every detail and old hurts clearly, but us "cavemen" sleep on it and the next day it’s like nothing happened—our friendship just moves on.
The Green
My wife still laughs when she recalls how I became friends with one of my best buddies right in front of her eyes—at a concert, we ended up next to each other wearing green shirts. We looked at each other, pointed at our shirts, laughed, clinked glasses, and have been friends ever since—almost ten years now.
Openly
We don’t judge each other’s looks as harshly as women do. We barely notice if a buddy gets a haircut or grows a beard—it just doesn’t matter. And we never hold secret grudges; we put everything on the table. If there’s a conflict, we talk it out immediately and clear the air. (And of course, we never call another friend to talk behind someone’s back—that’s totally a female thing.) If we dislike someone, we do it openly, not behind their back.
Common Ground
After dating my girlfriend for two months, she introduced me to her sister and her husband. We said hi, and he asked if I wanted a beer. I said yes and asked if he fished. He did. That was all it took—we became friends instantly.
Fuel
I was waiting for my motorcycle at the mechanic’s when I started chatting with a guy who had a similar bike. We talked about cars and motorcycles for half an hour, and that was it—we became best friends from that moment. Two years later, he was my best man.
The Movie
My girlfriend and I were leaving the cinema; she was wiping tears from being moved, and I muttered under my breath, "That movie was terrible." "I think so too..." someone grumbled next to me. We looked at each other, talked about why it was so bad, and our girlfriends started chatting too. "By the way, I’m Tomi," the guy said, and Tomi has been one of my best friends ever since—we hang out every week.
