5 Types Of Friend You'll Make In Your Life And How To Deal With Each Of Them
This world loves to put people into categories.
Even if you don't like categories, it is difficult not to admit there are recurring traits in the thousands of people you meet over the course of a lifetime.
Whether you're leaving high school, college or just living your life, here are the five types of friend you'll make over the course of your life.
1. The friends who want something more.
I naturally enjoy friendship with girls over friendship with guys. I think there's more depth, and we end up talking about more interesting topics.
But, of course, being friends with members of the opposite sex can also cause problems.
It's difficult for guys and girls to be "just friends."
Most of the time -- I would wager even the vast majority of the time -- one party will develop feelings for the other.
To me, one person is in it for the wrong reasons: The one who has feelings.
Think about it.
One person genuinely enjoys the other past any kind of physical attraction, which is a much purer ideal.
The person who physically likes the other also enjoys their company, but feelings muddy the water a bit. Now they're in it because they want something else to happen. In other words, there's a condition to the relationship.
There should be no conditions to any friendship.
You both should enjoy being with each other simply for the fun of it.
I'm not saying the person who develops feelings is bad. They're not. I just think friendships work best when there are no conditions.
2. The friends who talk to you when they want something.
First they greet you, then they ask you how you've been, and then they hit you with what they really want.
Yep, there are a few of these in my life.
I mean, there are two ways you can handle these people. You can take the blue pill and ignore them, or you can take the red pill and give them a helping hand, even when they don't really deserve it.
It's up to you but I'm a huge fan of karma, and I think the more you help others, the more others will help you in the long run.
3. The friends who love you for who you are.
These are the best kind of friend. They're the real MVPs.
But you've got to remember: For some reason, these friendships are also the most fragile. Both sides try so hard and do so much for one another that by the time a real conflict arises, it could turn into a war pretty quickly.
If you lost $5 in a bet, you would have no problem giving it up, but if you lost $1000 at a casino gambling, then it would probably affect you considerably.
It's the same with friendships.
Those we aren't so invested in don't affect us so much, but those we do have a long history with both hurt and make us happy the most.
My friends do a great job of reading my crazy personality and squashing needless conflict when it arises. You should do the same. Forget the dumb stuff and enjoy your time with each other.
4. The friends who talk a good game.
Ever have friends tell you they love you but, at the same time, make zero effort to see you?
Yeah, they belong here. They're the ones who talk a good game.
Let's get one thing straight, though -- I don't mind friends who are busy. I don't mind not talking or seeing somebody for months or even years at a time, but when you say something, mean it!
5. The friends who aren't really your friends.
You text them and they don't respond. You see them later, and they act like your best friend.
You've met them a few times and maybe had a few good conversations... but it's obvious they don't care for you much. If they did, they would text you back.
These are the people who aren't really your friends at all.
It's hard to know how to deal with these people. The last thing you want is to match their coldness with your own but at the same time, they're unpredictable!
My advice would be to just stop expecting anything from them.
Return a text with a text, or a greeting with a greeting, but don't actively pursue anything. That way you're always there if they want to get serious but at the same time, you're not cold.
