Are Friends A Necessity In Life?

This question has been playing in my mind since last week, and I guess this is something that we can debate about. Do we really need friends in our life? Can we live just as we are, surrounded only by our closest of relatives, and has no other relationship whatsoever with strangers?

I came to ask myself about this after meeting and getting to know this guy for nearly five months now. From the way he speaks and talks about his everyday life, I am really sure that he doesn't go out with friends. He is more of a hermit who rather stays at home facing his TV screens, his laptops or mobile phones. He is happy that way, rather than going out with others and trying his best to please them. From his point of view, having friends are just a pain in the **s.

Honestly, there is a truth about his opinion, but I can't fully agree with it. Besides my relatives, I myself do have friends, but not that many. It is hard to find a friend that you can really trust, if you know what I mean. These friends of mine share the same passion and hobby as me, so we get along just fine. But there are a few whom I will try to avoid as much as I can as we always ends up in confrontations. Not physically, but by words and ideas. Especially those who thinks they are the most knowledgeable person around.

So, the question remains. Do we really need friends in our life, or living the life surrounded only by your relatives is enough? I am really sure that each one of us has our own answer to this question. What's yours?