I know my subject is loaded question but I actually have a few parts to my question.
First off, I have had a friendship with someone for more than 15 years. We were in the same high school group and we have stayed in touch depsite my move to a new country. We mostly send texts but it's multiple times per week(sometimes everyday). Whenever anything good happens to him, he wants to tell me. Like when he bought a motorcycle or beat his entire family at a chess match. He cares less when something good happens to me of course. He also texts me when he is extremely frustrated.
I consider this person one of my best friends, I trust him not to lie to me but he is quite closed off about certain things. He's very intelligent, clever but lacks a solid social circle because he can't stop his negative comments about other's choices and he boasts about everything. He is a virgin at 30 and has never had a girlfriend. He talks about "hot girls" and seems sexual but has had impotency issues. In fact, I'm the only person(other than himself) that he was able to climax with(oral) which was 10 years ago. Since then he and I havent fooled around, I wanted to have sex and he didnt so my feelings were a bit hurt. He didnt pursue me past that so we lost touch for a bit and became just friends again.
Sorry for all of the details, just trying to make the situation clear. I give him compliments(not constant or for every little thing) but he never gives me a single compliment about anything. I care for him so much, hence why I feel like he is one of my best friends but when I say things like how he never says anything nice about me, he says he just has high standards about things.
Even if he doesn't say that he cares, could he? Is our friendship really just fulfilling his Nsupply? How can I talk to him about this to find out for sure(he usually doesn't lie to me, instead when he doesn't want to answer a question he strategically dodges it).
I feel so frustrated because I am usually an intelligent person, albeit emotional, but this situation fills me with concern that I look foolish.
If he doesn't care because he can't care, can he at least feel loyalty towards me? See me as superior to other people like he sees himself? I am trying to understand all this. He is more cerebral btw.
Thanks in advance for your candid responses