Tips on how to know a true friend

Sometimes we find it hard to differentiate between a friend and an acquaintance. Though similar, an acquaintance has little in common with you and merely enjoys your company for a short period of time. Also there are people we refer to as fair-weather friends, these are friends that are only flatter to deceive and are available only when the going is good, take a wrong step and they disassociate or withdraw from you. A true friend on the other hand is someone that has your very best interests at heart and will stand with you through thick and thin. As we grow, we realize it becomes less important to have more friends and more important to have real ones.

In this write up I will  show you reasons or tips on how to know if your friends are true or are just sticking with you for the time being. There are certain key factors to look for when choosing a friend to ensure that you don’t associate with the wrong kind who had let you down without a second thought.

1. They’ll Give You The Tough Love

These are the ones that are not afraid to tell you your shoes are bad or your outfit isn’t great. Most people will act courteous around you in order to please you but with them you get the blatant truth. They always seem tough to please.

2. They Make Time For Each Other

True friends in any relationship without any face time are going to have problems.  Never force someone to make a space in their life for you and you don’t need to force someone into yours because if they truly care about you, they will make time to be with you.

3. They Make You Comfortable

These are friends that you are comfortable sleeping over at their place, raiding the refrigerator, wearing their clothes and using the bathroom as you please without any second thoughts.

4. They Believe In You

Believing in another person, and showing it in your words and actions, can make a huge difference in their life.  True friends will support your dreams, passions and hobbies, participate in them with you, and cheer for you when you need the boost. They are nothing but encouraging, trying to help you accomplish your dreams, your belief is of infinite importance to them.

5. They Always Lend You A Listening Ear

They are serious when you need them to be, they had listen to you ramble on for a long time and try to comfort you in times when you need it. They offer you sound advice and are always willing to share in your problems.

6. They Forgive You Even Without An Apology

A true friend when offended feel hurt but never hold grudges, they forgive you even before you tender an apology. They are fast to reconcile with you and even make the attempt to even when they are the ones who have been hurt.

7. They Compromise

Real friends meet in the middle. They had rather skip an outing to spend time with you when you are sick, and when there is a disagreement they work out a solution they had rather settle on a compromise, rather than a need for the other person to change or completely give in.

8. They Give Everything They Can Because They Truly Care

One of the biggest challenges in relationships comes from the fact that many of us enter a relationship in order to get something.  We try to find someone who’s going to make us feel good.  The only way a relationship will last, and give us joy in the long-term, is if we see our relationship as a place we go to give, and not just a place we go to take and this is what true friends are for.

9. They Offer Each Other Freedom

In a healthy relationship the doors and windows of true friends are always kept wide open.  No one is made to feel trapped or do things against their own will.  If a particular person is meant to be in your life, all the open doors and windows in the world won’t make them leave.

10. They Communicate With You Effectively

Communication is the cornerstone of a great relationship.  If you have resentment, you must talk about it rather than letting the resentment grow, when you communicate in an open and honest manner to address your insecurities it is better to understand your selves better.  A true friend will tell you anything and not hold back on you.

11. They Trust You With Their Lives

A genuine friend will trust you to take decisions for them, they believe whatever color of item you pick for them is the best and they trust you to come through for them when they need you most in their lives.

12. They Accept You For Who You Are

Trying to change a person never works and true friends are those who are your friends in the first place because of your personality. People know when they are not accepted in their entirety, and it hurts.  A real friend is someone who truly knows you, and loves you just the same.

13. They Support Us Through Adversity

True friends are there through all of our peaks in success and valleys in grief, they share in our joy, failures and everything in between. They are the ones who had stick with you through your bad nights and help you through trying times.

14. They Would Stand Up For You Anytime

True friends are the ones with unwavering loyalty to you, they had get into a fight just to protect your dignity whether you are there or not do not matter to them but they take every insult on your person personally, and will defend your cause no matter what.

15. They Are Genuine, And Expect Genuineness

In friendship a true friend will never idealize you.  They will never pretend in order to live up to your expectations. Rather than play games with your emotions they are genuine and want nothing more than that in return.  A growing relationship can only be nurtured by genuineness. They are always open, honest, and genuine with you at all times.

16. They Support Your Growth And Changes

With time our ideas and thoughts changes, true friends are those who adjust to your growth and rather than try to get you to change they learn to accommodate your differences and ideals.

17. They Make The Friendship A Priority

As time goes on, our days and lives start to become busier, and because of this we become more and more unavailable. Real friends don’t let life interrupt the relationship, they try and make out some time for a catch-up call or planning a visit, genuine friends make you a priority in their life.

18. They Stick Around

The sad truth is that there are some people who will only be there for you as long as you have something they need, and when you no longer serve any purpose to them, they will leave you in a lurch.  But true friends are those you can count on to come up with the goods for you even when things seem impossible they always manage to come through for you.  You need to gradually figure out who our real ones are in your life.

19. They Maintain Realistic Expectations Of You

Friends must keep realistic expectations of each other. True friends only have realistic expectations of you; they do not expect the impossible and will never pressure you into doing something wrong.

20. They Honor You In Small Ways On A Regular Basis

Honor your important relationships in some way every chance you get.  True friends look for an excuse at every opportunity to make your relationship sweeter and deeper by making small gestures to show you appreciation and affection at every chance they get.  They shower you with kindness and gratitude, they try to make every minute count for you and there is no shortage of fun with them.

21. They Are Privy To Your Secret Prejudices And They Still Love You

They know almost or all of your secrets and yet respect them, they are privy to your good and bad characters and yet act like you are the most perfect person they have ever known.

22. They Listen And They Hear Every Single Word

True friends will give you audience and show you that every word you say matters. They say the less advice is often the best advice. They lend you a listening ear and offer some positive reinforcement when you need them. They respect your wishes and offer encouragement when needed.

23. They Keep Their Promises

Your word means everything to them; they do what they promised to and say what they said they would.  Real friends keep promises and tell the truth upfront; they had rather not make a promise than break one.

24. They Push Us To Be More Accepting Of Ourselves

One of our greatest faults can be our negative criticism of ourselves, but true friends lift will cheer you up when we’re down. They always have positive comments about you and try their possible best to help you overcome your insecurities. They are the ones who beg to differ when our self-opinion starts getting low.

25. They Keep Our Stress In Check

A key issue in having a long-lasting friendship is in knowing what makes the other person tick; a genuine friend can sense our duress and try to assist us in making better decisions. And even when we’re not looking for advice, their presence alone can calm us.

True friends never say never.