4 Ways to Know the Friendship is Real

We go through a lot of different friendships throughout our years, some we regret losing, and others we just regret. Friends are what make are lives happier. I personally have too many past friendships that I regret ever being a part of, though I am not quite sure if it was the friendship as a whole or just the way they ended. I know now though that the friends I have now, I never want to lose.

The first key step in any relationship is communication. This doesn't just go for romantic relationships, any form of relationship can go down hill because of lack of communication. I don't mean talking all day everyday, but expressing how things made you feel in a way that doesn't start a fight. Say you accidentally say something that personally hurt a friend; they tell you about it and how it made them feel, and you apologize. This makes your friend feel heard and valued, and it should work the other way around. Trust me, you do not want someone around who does not take your feelings into consideration. You should also go out of your way to let a friend know that they made you feel good about something they said or did, because nobody wants to only hear about the bad someone thinks they have done.

The second way to tell a friendship is real is by how much you trust one another. If you feel like you can't tell your friends certain things because you're afraid of how they'll act afterwards, it may not be a great friendship. I personally feel that if I cannot tell you something personal about me then I do not consider you my friend. You should also be able to trust that your friends would tell you when you're wrong. This goes both ways as well, your friends should be able to trust that they can tell you anything without your judgement or knowing you would not go around and tell others what they said. They should still be supportive of you, but also let you know that what you're saying, thinking, or doing probably is not in your best interest, which brings me to number three.

Honesty, this is a super important one. Nobody wants to hang around with people who consistently lie, even when there's no reason to. A friend who always lies to you most likely does not have your best interest in mind, and are typically just trying to manipulate you. You would want your friends to tell you the truth, even if it is not always what you want to hear, this helps you keep a clear head and make the best decisions you can.

Being able to work through issues you and your friends have is a big step as well. I know plenty of friendships that have ended for small spats. We have to be able to look at not only what our friend did wrong but what we also did wrong or just things we could have done better. Most arguments begin over miscommunication, so being able to try and look at it from both sides would definitely help in resolving your issues. Most friendships end because one person was too prideful to apologize for their actions or to admit when they're wrong. When we truly value our friendships there should not be anything you wouldn't do to get over the argument.

Having these things in your friendship will ensure that you have the best friendship there is. There is nothing better than having great relationships with those that you care about and knowing that these are real, genuine friends.