May 5th, 2020
“Friends are medicine for a wounded heart, and vitamins for a hopeful soul.” - Steve Maraboli
We all need people in our lives who are there for us and who are there to support us in both the good times and the bad times. We need people who we can call friends. People that have our back in whatever situation we find ourselves in. Not only is it nice to have friends like this, but it is also very rewarding to be a friend like that to someone else. If you are looking to make more friends or improve your friendships, then this blog post is for you!
The word friend gets thrown around a lot in today’s society. People will say that they have many friends. Some of these people will actually truly have a lot of friends, but many people may have an inflated idea of what a friend is. Some of these people may say they made a friend after just a few minutes of talking with someone.
Moreover, people consider themselves friends with others just because they became connected on social media websites as if that is enough to make a friendship. However, great caution is warranted when considering new acquaintances to be friends. Typically, friendships are like flowers – they take time and effort to grow and blossom.
So, what exactly does it mean to be a real friend and have a real friendship?
Friendships are relationships that involve caring and a sense of selflessness. If you are friends with someone you genuinely care about the other person and are there for them in times of need. Friends are those that we want to spend time with, whether it be talking, spending time doing activities and hobbies, or just hanging out.
While we may have issues with our friends from time to time, the relationship with a friend is important enough that as a friend, you are willing to work through your differences to come to resolutions when there are disagreements or issues.
One of the most important parts of being a friend is being truthful with the other person. Honesty is almost always the best policy no matter what the setting and it turns out to be the case in friendships as well. There are several reasons why being truthful in a friendship is important...
One reason is that in a friendship, the two people assume to trust one another. They need to be able to count on each other to be dependable – which is a form of truthfulness. To be dependable means to do something that you say you are going to do or be somewhere that you say you are going to be. It means that you are not flaky and inconsistent, but instead, you are a person of your word and do what you say.
Another way that you can be truthful with your friends is by always giving them honest answers. For example, if your friend is asking you your opinion on something, it is best to give them honest feedback and your true opinion.
If your friend asks you if they like an outfit that they are wearing and you do not like it but you tell them that you do and later they receive a snide comment about that same outfit, then they may be upset and hold you – as their friend – responsible for not helping them out. An outfit or wardrobe concern may not seem very serious, but this same logic can be applied to more serious concerns as well.
If a friend asks for relationship advice or for guidance with a job, they are going to be counting on and hoping for an honest answer and authentic support. Telling your friend a lie to make them feel better, or because it may be what they want to hear at the moment, could be easier at that point in time but it is not the best idea for looking out for your friend in the long run. It is always best to be truthful and straightforward with your friends in order to preserve the friendship and trust in the relationship.
It is important to have friends throughout our lives to bring happiness to our lives and to satisfy our needs as social creatures. Being a good friend has some responsibilities that come with it and one of these responsibilities is being real and truthful. It is important to be authentic with your friends and not try and be someone that you are not. It is also extremely critical that you are honest with your friends.
Friendships depend on authenticity and honesty in order to flourish and grow. Remember, it may be easy at times to hold back and not be truthful with friends, but it is always the best idea to be genuine, honest, and real in our friendships.
At Clarity Clinic, we have highly trained staff who specialize in therapy and psychiatry services. To learn more about how we can support your mental health, call Clarity Clinic at (312) 815-9660 or schedule an appointment today.
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