Not every person in your life you consider to be your friend is indeed a true friend. Being let down by people in your life is the only way to learn that you shouldn’t rely on others.

Unfortunately, it’s inevitable. We all get let down at some point in our lives and those we thought were friends, didn’t have our best interests at heart.

However, that being said, there are people who will be true friends, who will put you before many other aspects of their life and who will literally do anything to ensure you are happy, healthy and living your life to the fullest. Here are five ways you can tell if your friend is a true friend:

1. Do they make time for you?

This can be taken two ways and your true friend should check both of these boxes. Firstly, when they are busy, do they rearrange their schedule to ensure they see and speak to you often enough? Do they regularly want to hang out, have a long phone call, or send a quick text to check in with you? If they do, chances are they love being around you and want to make sure you’re doing okay like a true friend would.

Secondly, when you need them, are they there? Sure, you can’t expect somebody to drop everything and come running if one of your boyfriends has just cheated on you, but true friends should.

If they know you need them, no matter how small or large the situation, they should find a way to be there for you. Pay attention to those who do this – they are rare and should be treasured.

2. Do they celebrate your achievements?

You’ve just landed a new job with an amazing pay packet – is your friend jealous that they’re not earning as much as you? Or are they cheering you on, happy that you’re where you want to be.

This can apply to any situation, however small – if your friend is cheering you on through your good times and your achievements (even when the green-eyed monster rears his ugly head), they’re true friends. If they seem off, jealous or bitter towards you, they don’t want the best for you if they can’t have it too.

3. Do they allow you to be yourself?

One of the biggest indicators oftrue friendship is if the other person allows you to be yourself, with no judgement. If they’re putting you down about the way you look, act, think or behave, chances are they’re not true friends and want to change you to suit their agenda.

Of course, there may be times when true friends can tell you that you’re not acting like yourself and tell you to sort your act out, but there’s a big difference between that and trying to change who you are as a person.

4. Are they honest with you?

A true friend will always be honest, no matter how hard the situation is. Sure, not everybody is brutally honest, but true friends will tell you if they hear your boyfriend is cheating on you, they will tell you that you have lipstick on your teeth and most importantly, they won’t lie to you about the little things.

5. Do they make you want to be better?

True friends make you want to be a better person, just because they make you feel happy, positive and remind you just how amazing you are. They enhance your life and make you want to strive to be the best you can be. True friends look for the good in the bad, not the bad in every situation.

Friendship can be the best thing to happen to you or the worst. False friendships can leave you feeling destroyed, depressed and lonely.



If you have a friend that ticks the boxes above, stick with them and be the best friend you can be. If you have a friend that is the opposite of this list, It’s never too late to cut people out of your life. You will feel a hell of a lot better for it.

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This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Lifeadvancer User Avatar
    Desev

    Everyone messes up sometimes. A true friend will both admit fault and ask for forgiveness when he is in the wrong, and extend forgiveness to you when you are in the wrong. Remember, though, that extending or receiving forgiveness doesn’t necessarily mean that everything will be perfect between you and back to normal. Trust has to be rebuilt slowly, but a real friend won’t continue to bring up your mistakes at every opportunity.

  2. Lifeadvancer User Avatar
    Faltu Saala

    Beautiful Post! I am glad that I have gone through this post. While technology has brought us closer, perhaps it has made our relationships more shallow

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