Fear of close friendships
A sad feature of JW relationships is the encouragement by the leadership to spy on one's brothers, and if anything is unbecoming in their lives, they are to be confronted or turned in to the elders, or both (usually it is simultaneous). There is a "pecking order" in the organization, with the Governing Body on top, followed by Bethel workers and Circuit and District overseers, then the local elders, then the pioneers and ministerial servants, and the "publishers" on the bottom (women being least favored). Since confidences cannot officially be kept, and personal struggles admitted only at great risk of being chastised or "counseled," Witnesses cannot confide in their own, but ironically turn to non-Witnesses for confidences.
This was the one that started the fade on my hubby and I. We got so tired of trying to be friends with ones in the congregation and meeting constant barriers. Everyone at the Kingdom Hall, who had any privileges, were all so two-dimensional. They seemed literally afraid of revealing too much about themselves. The only ones we found to be genuine were the ones on the outside-looking-in. You know, the weak publishers who weren't viewed as superior christians. When I think how JW's are actually undermining their own organization with this pseudo-socialist/deep throat informant culture it makes me glad I'm not there anymore trying to scratch the surface of plastic people.