I have a buddy since childhood, kid was a hellraiser, drinking 2 liter plastic bottles of cider at the age of 13, smoking weed at 15, getting into fights, and he had a problem with authority, so he never held down a job for very long even though he was very precise, meticulous and hard working, because he'd inevitably have some argument with management, or storm out on a dispute with colleagues. Eventually he met a nice girl (my fiancées cousin), they got married, had a kid, and he got a burger flipper job at McDonalds. He put his head down, worked his ass off, followed the company's training and now is a shift supervisor. He's doing well, and he's got a leadership style that's entirely his own, he's confident, he's gotten into shape, given up drink and drugs, supporting his family etc.

I had another friend who I connected with on a more intellectual level, we'd riff for hours on various advanced subjects in politics, civil design, etc. He was doing a masters in civil engineering when we met, and a doctorate when we last spoke. He came from a privileged background, but I'm in a professional job now too so I have learned to relate and these people tend to see me as one of their own. Anyway, we got on well, and I enjoyed the time we spent.

I did a camping trip for my birthday some months back, and both these guys came along. I introduced everyone, and (I realised my mistake) there was a tension between the groups, my older friends and the people I'd picked up in my "new life".

The former dude brought all his own supplies, food for everyone, built a huge fire, the latter had to beg for a space in someone's tent, having assumed there'd be one there for him. When the former mentioned his job, the latter scoffed and made a joke. True colours shown that day really, as far as I was concerned, that was a relegation moment to faint acquaintance.