What are the characteristics of true friends? How do we know when someone is a true friend, and when they are just yes men who want something from you? It is a question which a lot of people ask themselves.
Of course there is no cut and dried answer to this question; what one person may feel is a sign of a loving and caring friend, may appear to be the sign of someone false to another.
Telling the truth
This is a contentious point; do true friends always tell the truth, regardless of how much it will hurt you? To my mind, probably not. There are situations where telling the truth is more damaging and hurtful than a white lie; we all need the truth sugar-coated on occasion. However, that is just my opinion; there are plenty of people out there who believe that absolute and total honesty is the only way to approach a situation. And, lets face it – we all need a wake up call from a true friend every once and a while!
Borrowing money
This again is a tricky one; if you have a friend who is in a desperate financial state, and begs you to lend them some money, this probably doesn’t negate them being a real friend. However, if your friend lives an incredibly extravagant lifestyle, and just wants your money to fund their next binging session, you are probably being taken for a ride! Also, how long have you known this person? If you are well off, and someone who claims to be your new best friend starts making hints about wanting to borrow money, then chances are that you’re being used. This isn’t always the case, but nine times out of ten it will be.
Looking out for each other
If you really are true friends then you will look out for each other no matter what happens. You will definitely never be deliberately hurtful to each other either. Yes, people make mistakes, and if you are confident that someone you considered a true friend is genuinely sorry for the hurt they’ve caused you, then being able to move past it is a sign of real friendship. However, if this person goes out and hurts you over and over again, then you are probably not that important to them at all!
Keeping the trust
A fundamental quality of a true friend is someone with whom you can trust your secrets. If you confide something in your friend and they spread it far and wide, then back off! You must be able to trust your friends. However, I must and an addendum to that: if you have confided something to your ‘true friend’ which they think you need help with, and they break the confidence to get you help they are still a good friend! If you confess drug abuse, and they tell your parents to make you stop, then they have not betrayed you; they have done the right thing by you and shown themselves to honestly be a true friend.
Christine Crotts likes a house full of plants. If only they would stop dying. Christine has written a site containing reviews on metal plant stands, as well as wrought iron plant stands.
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