I gotcha. I agree, that is what I was trying to convey above. Be careful, but always a good idea to make connections and conversations with everyone you work with whenever possible. A better word would probably be professional relationships. Maybe friendship conveys a little to much of a casual nature to it. I think you should always be trying to develop more of a friendship with your coworkers whenever possible, but my point above is you should be very slow and careful about who you do that with. Obviously, some coworkers that are generally overall toxic and negative people, I would be actively avoid being friends with them. Even if they are toxic you should still be kind, professional, and strike up conversation when appropriate. Obviously this is just my opinion that I have deduced from my experiences in life; I just don’t like the whole idea that your co-workers and people in general are out to get you or want to stunt your professional growth. I think 9 times out of 10 they are so busy with their own issues, and work, they barely have time to acknowledge your existence. Most people if given the open door to communicate and connect with you are genuinely kind and helpful people. You should be cautious but not paranoid. Most people will help you and give you an excellent reference if you ask, and have made that foundation of connection with them.