A true friend may disagree with your choices but will still be there to help pick up the pieces when it all goes wrong. They don't need to be mind readers as some appear to have suggested but they are the people you can laugh with, cry with, accept you as you are AND encourage you not to accept false restrictions on what you dare to try to accomplish. They will help you face the mirror of your soul and deal with the nitty gritty of reality. But the most important thing of all is that it is a 2 way street, friendship is what you offer and in the offering you open yourself to the possibility of pain but without that leap of faith, friendship is a non starter. So perhaps the question should not so much be "what makes a friend a real friend?" as "how can I be a real friend ?"