Its very true that we do not see a lot of great mercury's. Its starved by 1 planet, moon, so thats 3 in 12 charts about, a bit less cuase in some charts moon will starve it badly but it will be in cancer. Its delighted by Venus, venus can never aspect, but i can join, but it has two signs to delight mercury in, so thats about 3 in 12, evens out the score with moon. Then saturn will starve in 1 in 12 charts. Sun will delight in 1 out of 12 charts when mercury is in leo, and it will agitate and delight in 1 out of 12 charts. So mercury is half a planet ahead on friendship vs starvation agitation. So no, we dont see a lot of great mercury's. And that shows, look at how may people find themselves struggling in wrong situations that were never properly examined?
Indeed, this is a primary lesson to be learnt!
Perhaps this is how universe lays the net to catch up on working out the bad karma otherwise who would want to get caught 😀
Over the years I have come to see mars as more significant in regards to friends. In western astrology, its mercury of course. And in many contexts it is. If you get together to play games, its mercury, if you do mutual interst things together, play together, its mercury. But friends on a more serious note of doing things for the other when in need or important or to be helpful, is Mars.