Real friends may show unconditional love and expect nothing in return. They may not judge you or think less of you. They will likely always have your back and support you through thick and thin. Real friends can help you focus on your goals, stay motivated, and be creative.
“A deep friendship is one in which we feel seen and loved for exactly who we are. It's when we feel safe enough to talk about what's really on our minds and in our hearts — and when we trust that the things that make us quirky, unique, and different are the qualities our friend cherishes most about us.”
They're loyal
But, if your friends have integrity, they're likely loyal to the people they care about and who have been with them through ups and downs. They don't speak negatively about you, they listen to your side of the story, give you the benefit of the doubt, and they defend you when you deserve it.
True friends are usually those who offer you support, improve your quality of life, promote self-confidence, provide honesty and unconditional love, and help you progress mentally. It often takes time and effort to foster deep, healthy friendships.
Obviously, most people don't meet all of their friends during childhood and, unfortunately, not all friendships last forever. The poll found that the average friendship lasts for 17 years, however, 17 percent say they've had the same best friend for over 30 years!
They don't resort to personal attacks.
True friends aren't in the business of making you feel bad about yourself. They communicate with words of kindness, not cruelty. They focus on your similarities, not your differences. They speak of your qualities, not your shortcomings.
Good friendships are based on mutual respect, honesty, and support (helping each other with problems, and celebrating each other's success). Friends should help you grow into an even better person, and love and care for you.
They're never around in difficult times
So, being too busy, citing excuses, or flaking out on you every time you need help or support is one of the unmistakable signs your friend doesn't truly care about you.
Friend love is platonic love. It's a love that means you care for someone, they are important to you, and you are connected to them emotionally, but you do not have romantic feelings for them. Friendly love can also be the love experienced through camaraderie or a connection with people at work.
'False friendships' describe relationships where someone pretends to be your friend, or is your 'friend' sometimes, but actually uses their power to bully you. Sometimes bullying isn't as straight forward as someone openly being horrible to another person.
There are many characteristic of a good friend, but for me the most important is to be honest, responsible, and kind.
True friendships are admittedly rare, but they are possible if you know how to be one yourself and what to expect from others you want to call friends.
In general, based on 2021 survey data, the average person in America has between 3 and 5 close friends. According to this survey: almost half (49%) report having 3 or fewer close friends. over one-third (36%) report having between 4 and 9 close friends.
The most common reason isn't tension; it's just that friendships fizzle out, both experts say. Friends move, get a new job, start a family and may just gradually stop talking to each other. One study found we lose about half our friends every seven years, Franco says.
According to “The Friendship Report,” a global study commissioned by Snapchat in 2019, the average age at which we meet our best friends is 21—a stage when we're not only bonding over formative new experiences such as first love and first heartbreak, but also growing more discerning about whom we befriend.
Real friends acknowledge that fact, and they effortlessly accept you for who you are. You may disagree on things, but they are there for you, no matter what. On the other hand, fake friends won't be patient enough to deal with your faults and will try to leave as soon as they find themselves in unfavorable situations.
“Toxic friendships happen when one person is being emotionally harmed or used by another, making the relationship more of a burden than support,” says Suzanne Degges-White, author of Toxic Friendships. A bad friendship can increase your blood pressure, lower your immunity, and affect your mental health.
If you and your friend have trust, equality, compassion, honesty, and independence, you already have the foundation of a strong and healthy friendship. Even though it can be hard to recognize when a friendship is weak in some areas, it is always possible to improve yourself and your relationship with a friend.
Unfriending can happen for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, people choose to “weed out” their friends list by removing people they don't know well or no longer keep in touch with. Other times, they may unfriend someone over the content they share, such as differing political views, excessive negativity or spam posts.