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Introduction
Each person has his own set of experiences with different types of friendship. Some are fortunate to say that they have found more than one good friend that has stayed with them throughout the course of their life.
What defines a good friend? What can we expect from a healthy friendship? These are questions the author of this sample long and short essay tackles in a purely reflective manner.
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Do You Know Who Your Good Friends Are?
In every season of our life, there are people who come in and out depending on how connected they are to what we are going through. When we introduce people, we always categorize them according to when we were closest to them, such as “elementary school friend,” “high school friend,” or even “an old friend from a previous job.”
We do this because we clearly remember when we met them and how our friendship grew. For the most part, we outgrow these friendships. As soon as we leave for a different school or move to a new job, the connection we used to have with these people changes. Suddenly, we are no longer speaking on a daily basis, and before we know it, we drift apart.
There is nothing wrong with outgrowing friendships. Many of these are only around for a season. But for this friendship essay, we are focusing on the kind of relationship that transcends these temporary periods of time. Valuable friendships are hard to find, and once we recognize that we have them, we need to do everything we can to keep these people in our lives.
What are the keys to a healthy relationship? How do we know that we have true friends? Allow me to share with you some of my reflections on this topic.
A good friendship thrives on honesty, openness, and accountability. This is the basis of trust. Two friends who make it a point to always share everything with each other are bound to feel secure in the friendship. It makes a difference to know that there is a person in your life who knows you inside and out.
True friendship also accepts the other person as he or she is. There is no personal agenda of benefiting from the other person. It doesn’t look at people’s financial status as a gauge of how good a friend they can be or even their social networks. Bad friends normally only befriend someone when they have a personal stake in the relationship. They are only in it to take advantage of people.
At the same time, best friends lend humor in difficult situations. They try to help ease tension for their companion by finding ways to make them smile or laugh. It doesn’t mean that they are minimizing the emotions the other feels. It just means that they are co-regulating with them. They “share their calm” so that their friend can take a breath and think more clearly.
Meaningful relationships also respect the importance of personal space. There are many people who use the friendship card to be intrusive and poke into areas of others’ lives where they have not yet been welcomed. A best friend asks for permission before requesting sensitive information or making a decision that will affect the other person. He or she doesn’t assume that their relationship bonds are an automatic consent to sharing a story that isn’t theirs to begin with.
Finally, a good friend walks with the other in and out of season. As mentioned earlier, these are the people who are for keeps. They are good company in the highs and lows of life. They are good listeners who will sit with you and your uncomfortable emotions. Even when you have different personalities, they don’t easily walk out when things get hard.
Conclusion: True Friends are Hard to Find, But Worth the Wait
As I write this, I remember two of my loyal friends who embody all of these qualities and more. Kirsten and Ella have been my friends since we grew up together on the same block as babies. We have daily conversations to this day, whether or not we see each other often. They have since moved to different states, but they continue to be the closest friends I’ve ever had.
If you have people in your life who also share the same characteristics I’ve outlined above, consider yourself blessed. It is not easy to find a true friend, and sometimes keeping them can also be a rarity. Let them know how much you love and appreciate them, and be that kind of person to someone else.
Example Of Short Essay About Friendship (Short Essay Sample)
In a person’s life, you will find a network of good and bad friends influencing him or her. Most of the time, it is easy to distinguish a good friend from a bad one. But there are people who realize who their toxic friends are a little too late, and they end up traumatized or betrayed in the process.
What does a truly healthy relationship look like? For one, it is a friendship where you always feel confident, accepted, and secure. Close friends don’t put you down. Instead, they encourage you and affirm your admirable qualities, and give thoughtful and constructive criticism when the situation calls for it.
A great friend is someone who offers himself or herself as a steady support system when things are tough. They don’t leave during the more challenging seasons, but they stay with you and go through them with you.
Finally, they are against starting drama with you because they believe that there is a better use of time in the friendship than dwelling on petty things with you. They would rather spend time working with you to resolve the issue if there is any.
FAQs on What Makes a Good Friend
❓ What Qualities Make Someone A Good Friend?
Depending on your personality, there are many combinations of qualities and characteristics that make someone a friend to keep. First, he or she is a good listener. He or she doesn’t just listen to respond, but also makes it a point to ask questions to get right to the heart of the issue, which is sometimes unverbalized. He or she is also honest. He or she doesn’t believe in white lies or sugarcoating a tough truth to make you feel happy. He or she is secure enough in the relationship to know that even if you are hearing something you don’t necessarily want to hear, you won’t take it against him or her. Finally, they don’t tolerate our bad habits. They will not force us to change, but they will always want to see the best in us and push us to be and do better.
❓ Why Is Having Good Friends Important?
It’s extremely important to have a strong support system of healthy friends around us because life is not meant to be journeyed through alone. No person’s growth is a solo project. We need wonderful and caring people around us to add value to our lives and to enrich our perspectives with their own. Sometimes, we even need different personalities to challenge our worldview and open us to things we otherwise wouldn’t bother considering. We all need a friend to rely on when not even one family member can understand us.