Friends... Are they for real???

Sometimes I wonder what are friends for... Are friends really important? Do friends really make a difference in my life? Isn't one better off alone? This got me thinking.
The reason i'm writing this because I was betrayed a few days ago... Furthermore, a lot of things are crowding my mind. Studies. Form 4. Chinese. PMR result. & many more. I'm stressed up till I feel like breaking something!
Friends as we all know come from people you know and like of any age and sex.
To me, friends are needed to enjoy life with. If I say I enjoy playing Cluedo, but have no friends. I surely cannot play the game alone. Even if I could, it wouldn't be much fun.
Friends are also needed to help us when we are trouble. When others talk bad about us, they will be the first one to defend us. Few days ago, I was depressed about a few things, a friend advised me. I won't say who. But if you are reading this, I would like to thank you. It helped me a lot. I'm still stressed up but less now. With friends to help us when we are in trouble, it's not so bad. As the saying goes, "Trouble shared, is trouble halved".
Friends not only share sorrows, but happiness too. When we are successful or have succeeded, they too will be the first to congratulate us. With friends to share in our moments of happiness, it is multiplied. As "Joy shared, joy is doubled".

But...
The cons of having friends are many too...
Some people are fair-weathered. They are people who are there for us when the times are good. But when we are down and out, they desert us. But, how do we identify them?
Another type of people that i'm aware are false friends. After they know everything about you, they betray you.
True friends are little, but fair-weathered and false friends are plentiful.
So, I advise you to choose your friends with great care. I don't want you to be betrayed. It's a not nice feeling. Bind your true friens with "hoops of steel" as William Shakespeare put it.

But, I choose the road to be a loner. I think it's better for me not to have friends. So, if I don't have any friends, what the heck? I'm happier without them... After all, nobody actually cares about me.. People seem to be too busy with their own lives and stuck in their group of friends...