Jase - I only want actual friends to be attached to me

So to me there's no reason to approve someone who I'm not friends with. What would be the benefit be, if I don't know them? To have a higher friend count? I'm not sure I see the advantage to saying yes. I'd be flooded with "news" about someone I don't know.
So really for me, either someone is an actual friend and I connect to them, or they aren't. My concern is what they see if I choose NOT to connect to them.