How to Be a Great Friend

Friendships are one of the most valuable things we have in life. The best way to develop good friendships is to be a good friend yourself. In this article, I'll share some thoughts and ideas about being a great friend.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• The desire to be a great friend, making your friendships solid and rich.

1. Encouragement is probably one thing that all friendships need, regardless to whether they're new or old. We all have people in life that are quick to point out our flaws, faults, and failures. Being a great friend means believing in people, sometimes even when no one else does.
2. Spend quality time with your friends. We all have busy lives, but to maintain and develop a friendship requires at least some amount of quality time. In some instances, physical time together isn't possible, which is where the Internet comes in handy. In local situations however, the Internet, text messaging, etc. should not become a crutch in your friendship.
3. Whenever possible, make it a point to be there for your friends through both celebrations and difficult situations. It's easy to be a friend to someone when everything is going great for him or her. True friendship however is being there for people when challenges hit them.
4. Be very patient, forgiving, and respectful of friends. No one is perfect, and even the best of friends aren't going to agree on everything. Obviously don't tolerate situations where you're being purposely taken advantage of or hurt (that's not a friend), but try to talk through normal situations where your friend isn't doing something on purpose. Also be willing to say you're sorry when you're the person who does something wrong. Remember that in many cases it's better to preserve a relationship than to be "right" all the time.

Tips & Warnings

• Personality books are helpful in this area because they help you understand how other people think. If you know where someone is coming from, you can be a better friend to them. "Personality Plus" is probably one of the best I've ever read. Dale Carnegie "How to Win Friends and Influence People" is great as well.