As you know, friendship is one of the most precious gifts of life. True friendship really makes life thrilling. It also makes it to be a sweet and pleasant experience. It is important to note however that as much as friendship is an asset in life, it acts like a double edged sword. I mean this in the essence that friendships can either make you or break you. Choosing your friends is as important as the friendship itself.
1. Trust
Being able to have trust and confidence in your friend is one of the most important requirements of a strong relationship because true friendship means you are able to count on one another. Part of caring for a friend is honoring what they tell you, no matter the significance, with confidentiality and respect. A true friend should never laugh or mock, but listen with open ears and offer advice if asked. An example of having a trustworthy friend is being able to talk to them about a personal issue you are facing, knowing that what is said will stay between the two of you and that they will not judge you or the circumstance.
2. Essence of True Friendship
True friendship is a feeling of sharing and caring for one another. Think about this; you were there when he had a crush on a girl. You helped him come up with whether it was good morning messages for her or other texts. Eventually they fell in love and got married and you were there for all of that. Experiences like that are what friendship is all about. It is that feeling of having someone that understands and appreciates you as who you are without exaggerations and pretense. It is where you are recognized as someone and not just a faceless being in the crowd. I remember a time when I used to compromise what I liked to do or what made me comfortable just so I could fit in among my “friends”. It was such a miserable time in my life since I thought that approval from my friends is what made me cool or likeable. This is not what true friendship is about. Everyone should be accepted for who they are and your uniqueness should be celebrated and not ridiculed. True friendship does not discriminate based on various circumstances.
3. Equality
Equality is another super important ingredient in healthy friendships that often gets overlooked when one friend seems to have more say than the other. For example, just because one friend is assertive doesn’t mean they should dominate all of the decision making in a friendship. Likewise, a friend that is naturally timid should challenge themselves to speak up about the things they are interested in doing, like seeing a certain movie or eating somewhere new, without worry of being overruled. In healthy friendships, both friends should be able to make decisions together and compromise without being shut down.
4. Type of Friends to Choose
However, all that glitters is not gold. This is essential to remember when choosing your friends. Some people only pretend to be your friend by preying on your loneliness so they can lead you to the wrong path. This is why we as the younger generation are being regarded as a ‘nuisance’, for lack of a better word. We sometimes end up getting intertwined with the wrong crowd in the name of friendship. Friends really dictate our actions in one way or another. That is why you’ll find that some people are actually closer to their friends than they are to their blood relatives. When you need a happy 18th birthday message for a friend, think of all the good times you’ve shared leading up to this special day. So lucky to have you as my best friend, This is why it is of the utmost importance that you are very discerning when it comes to choosing your friends sine friendship is something we really rely on as humans.
4. Compassion
Having compassion is when you are able to be empathetic and genuinely there for your friends on a daily basis and during times of need. Having compassion and empathy is a requirement for a healthy friendship because it’s important to have friends that you can count on to be there for you. An example of what a compassionate friend could look like is if your dog died and your friend came to your side to listen to how you felt in that moment of grief. In this scenario, the friend was compassionate by being present and listening to your situation and supportive by being there for you.
5. Concept of Old Friends and New Friends
True friendship does not necessarily arise out of old friends. You can also acquire it in new friends. The period of time you have known each other is not essential when it comes to true friendship. What matters is the fact that two humans are brought together based on the strong connection that they both share. The chance to share everlasting memories is one of the endgame objectives that true friendship aims to bring about. In essence, you actually need old and new friends in your life so as to keep things balanced and also interesting. This is because new friends satisfy the desire for new experiences and interests, while on the other hand old friends remain to be our “rock” or in other words our stability. This reminds me of a saying that sates “make new friends, but keep the old; those are silver, but these are gold.” Both old friends and new friends will leave imprints in our lives forever no matter what. New friends will eventually transition and become old friends, and other ones will take their place which creates some sort of cycle.
6. A Good Friend Most Be Honesty
Honesty is a requirement for a strong and successful friendship because, at the end of the day, people usually will be more hurt when the truth is concealed than by the truth itself, whatever it may be. Whether it is lying about a simple thing like whether or not you like your friend’s outfit, or something more significant, being dishonest eats away at the foundation of a healthy friendship. Even though being honest may mean having more difficult conversations with your friend, it will make for a stronger and better friendship.
7. Independence
In successful friendships, it is always important to be independent of your friend and allow your friend to have their personal space as well. It is never healthy to always need the company of your friend and their constant attention. You should both have other friends and hobbies besides each other. Getting upset when you are not your friend’s “only friend” is a sign that independence is needed.If you and your friend have trust, equality, compassion, honesty, and independence, you already have the foundation of a strong and healthy friendship.
Conclusion
Friendship is not something that can be measured in elements. It is a relationship that is measured in value. The best type of friends are the ones that nurture you and help you grow over time into the person you were meant to be. Do not lock yourself out of the opportunity to make friends.