Fair enough. I was playing Devil's Advocate in any case. I tend
  to find that friends are generally more important than family in
  day-to-day things - sort of ala Camus, although he was a bit
  darker than I like. "Preferred".

  Yet, is there no value in forced communion with others? After
  all, you did not _choose_ your classmates.

  They were chosen for you. Like family.

  Amongst the set of classmates, you chose your friends, but the
  entire set of available people to choose from, was chosen for
  you.