Sometimes it's difficult to distinguish between a friend, an acquaintance, and the many people you have on your friends list on social media. Both friendships and acquaintances can have similarities, although, often an acquaintance has little in common with you, and you don't keep in touch or communicate regularly. It is not uncommon for many people to have a long list of friends or connections on various social media platforms. It is not unusual for these social media friendships/connections to never meet “In Real Life” (IRL). Messaging and commenting on posts truly are not a real test of friendships. But making arrangements to meet in person is the first step of possibly turning a social media friendship into a real or true friendship. The true friend is consistent, loyal, and is there for you through the many things in life that can happen to you, both good and bad.
Listed below are several important factors to look for when choosing a friend and keeping a friend for life:
They Will Always Be Honest with You
These are the friends that aren't afraid to give you a wake-up call whenever necessary. A real friend will tell you what you need to hear because they care about you.
They Love You for Yourself
We all have our quirks, and a real friend will love you for who you truly are. We all need friends that we can be weird and silly around and not worry if the other can be inappropriate at times.
They Give More Than They Take
Real friends are thoughtful and are willing to be there for you whenever you need them. All of us from time to time have difficult situations we go through, and genuine friends will care about your problems as much as their own.
They Compromise
In any relationship, it's important to meet in the middle. Friends will have disagreements from time to time, and when that happens, it's best to work out a solution together.
They Forgive You Even Without an Apology
Even if a true friend feels offended, they never hold a grudge. They may be upset temporarily, but they will forgive before you even apologize. A caring friend will be quick to reconcile.
They Believe in You
True friends will be supportive of your goals and passions. They will be your biggest cheerleaders in everything you do and are nothing but encouraging. Surrounding yourself with positive influences will not only make you more positive but strengthen your friendships altogether.
They Make Time for You
Real friends will make time for you no matter how crazy their schedules might be. These are the best of friends because they make your friendship a priority. Genuine friends want to be around you as much as you enjoy spending time with them.
They Are Respectful of You
You won't always agree with your friends, but that's okay. True friends welcome and respect your thoughts and opinions. They want what you want for yourself and vice versa. What makes a friendship unique is that both people aren't exactly the same and have a variety of opinions.
They Are Thoughtful
Being trapped in a relationship that is one-sided and selfish is not enjoyable. Choose friends that have giving hearts and that are considerate individuals. It is always wonderful and makes the friendship deeper if your friend remembers the little details about you and wants to make you happy through little gestures.
They Stick Around
Through all of our lives, people come and go, but loving friends will be in it for life. We all experience different things throughout our lives, and true friends will want to stay because they care about you and respect each other’s friendship.
Source of Information: Various Google Searches and personal experiences
Until next time, stay safe and well
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