Trust

If we refuse to put some chips on the table, then how can we participate in the game? I'm not a gambler, but I'm using this example to say, in order to turn someone into a friend, we have to be willing to put ourselves in a position in which we risk being hurt.
I'm not saying be foolhardy, I'm not saying risk a great deal all the time. When we put ourselves in a vulnerable position, it should be under the auspices of a calculated risk. When making a friend,  we should normally have a 'hunch' that this person is similar to us, that what we have to offer this person is something he or she will value, and will cherish us for sharing.
But this is only one part of a calculated risk. The other side of it is; we also need to trust ourselves. It is very very important,  that in thinking about opening up to someone and giving of ourselves, we have faith in our own resilience. If we can't be confident in anything else when we meet someone we wish to befriend, it is critical that we know that, should something go wrong, and the friendship cannot mature properly, we are strong enough to get beyond the hurt.
Moving from acquaintance to friendship with someone  is one of the most exciting things about being alive! I would say it is what makes life worth living. But just some things to remember: Are you being realistic? Are you taking a calculated risk, in which you have sized up what you know about the reliability of the person you want to reach out to? Are you also being realistic about how you will feel if disappointment with this person is down the road? If you are at least somewhat sure that you can answer 'Yes' to these two questions, then you are ready for the Position of Friend!