Ultimate Guide: What to look out for when choosing a friend
Have you ever wondered what to look out for when choosing a friend? Probably you realized that you aren’t friends with the right people. Right now, I have a lot of acquaintances, but only a few close friends.
Once upon a time, I wasn’t friends with the right people. I enjoyed making new friends and I trusted people easily. Eventually, I found myself in a situation that opened my eyes.
Most of the people you consider your friends aren’t really your friends. Probably you consider someone as a good friend, but they don’t consider you as their friend. Have you ever heard a rumor about yourself and it really surprises you? You’ll be like “Mad o! Did I really do that?”. Spoiler alert, it could be one of your closest friends that is spreading those rumors about you.
There’s a huge difference between an acquaintance and a friend. I actually think that the mistake most of us make is that most time we make friends with someone who should have been just an acquaintance. There’s this saying that goes “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. I completely disagree with that.
Because even your enemy could be your friend in disguise. The important thing is that you should keep your enemies close and your friends closer. Or better off, keep both your friends and your enemies closer.
If you have been wondering the important things to consider when choosing good friends, this article is perfect for you. Actually, it’s not just about choosing friends, it’s about choosing good friends. There are levels to this thing and there’s a huge difference between friends and good friends. And for those who don’t even know how to make friends…tap here
What to look out for when choosing a good friend – 7 important things
You really shouldn’t jump into a friendship. There are important things you need to consider before getting new friends. You don’t need just anyone, you need the right friends. The people you associate with have a major impact and influence on your personal success and no one wants a friend that’ll make them do bad things.
You can tell where most people are going to end up in life simply based on who they spend time with. This is why it is so important to make the right relationship choices and know what to look out for when choosing a friend. What are the things you should find in the right friend?
- Similar values: Make friends with people that have similar values as you. While diversity is great in many ways, when it comes to your general values and beliefs, it’s best to keep core friendships with like-minded people. While you can respect the opinions and differences of others, choosing friends that hold similar values to yours will keep you from compromising or being negatively influenced by those that don’t uphold your values and the standards that you govern your life. When friends have similar values, they can help keep each other accountable. The same applies to having the same religion. Of course, you can make friends with people of other religions but it’s easier to drag your Christian friend to your Sunday service than to drag your Muslim friend.
- Supportiveness: Make friends with people that will support you and celebrate your success with you. You want a friend that will celebrate you, not just tolerate you. A true friend will celebrate every milestone, accomplishment, and success story on your journey. You don’t need a friend that will fake a smile, you need a friend that will be genuinely happy to see you succeed and be the first to say “congratulations!”. Friends like that are rare so when you find them, hold on to them!
- Same Interests: Sometimes making friends can be hard. However, making friends can be easier when you lookout for people that share the same interests as you. Friends with similar interests simply make life more fun. Plus it makes your friendship less stressful. If you have the same interests as your new friend, there would be fewer disagreements because both of you are already interested in the same thing. If perhaps you and your friend got a room together but you like sleeping with the lights off and she likes sleeping with the lights on, you and your friend may argue every night to leave the lights off or on. Maybe if you and your friend both like sleeping with the lights off, you wouldn’t have to argue about leaving the lights off or on.
- Balance: This is a very important thing. Choose friends who can bring a balance in areas where you are weaker. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. With the right friends, you can tap into the talents, skills, and abilities of those that have expertise in areas that you don’t. Maybe you aren’t good at Mathematics, but you have a friend that loves Mathematics, that friend can teach you the mathematics stuff that you don’t understand. You might also be great at SEO optimization but your friend is a publisher and doesn’t know how to optimize SEO. You can offer assistance to that your friend. When you utilize each other’s strengths, everyone wins.
- Energy: When looking for friends, find people that match your energy. Just like a relationship where the guy puts in a lot of effort to maintain the relationship, but the girl doesn’t put in any effort at all, friendships can be one-sided too. Why would you put so much effort into a friendship and the other person does absolutely nothing? Just imagine a friendship where every time you do something wrong, you always apologize. But when the other person does something wrong, he/she never apologies. When you are looking for a friend, it’s very important to go for someone that matches your energy
- Zeal to learn: You have to choose friends that have a thirst for knowledge. Life is about learning, growing, and advancing. With friends like this, you can learn from each other. It’s always great to have a friend who can recommend a good book or share information with you to help you on your path. A friend like this really affects you in a good way, Probably your friend wants to study, but you are playing. Of course, he/she would drag you to study too.
- Motivation and Encouragement: You should choose a friend that motivates and encourages you. No one wants a friend that is negative or down all the time. Imagine pitching a good business idea to your friend. Maybe a business you want to start and your friend just discourage you from starting that business. It’s usually the people that are positive, uplifting, and supportive that we want to be around. The best types of friends will be there to offer a listening ear and help you put a positive spin on any situation.
