“Companion” comes from words meaning “with bread.” Real friends are the ones you’d split a meal with.

The test buried in that old word is practical rather than sentimental. Sharing food means sharing something limited, which is different from sharing opinions or a group chat, and it shows you who is in the small circle that actually costs you something. Plenty of people you like would not give you half of what they have.

Eat with somebody this week on purpose, with phones down: lunch, something you cook, chips on a wall somewhere. Offer half of what you brought without making a point of it. Over time, notice who does the same for you, because that list is shorter than your contacts suggest.