A Friend Must Be...

I mostly do the same as Madness does. I like to have friends who are loyal to you and will always have your back Like I do for theirs.

 

I do the same, but i also not tend to go not into the crowds and stuff. Because all my 3 years in middle school taught me if you're popular the more you attract the disloyal.

 

What I like in my friends is that I'm able to talk with them about just anything you can think of. I hate it when all people talk about are things like their crush, their favourite shows, and what they eat for dinner. Not that any of these are bad subjects yo alk about, but it bothers me when that is absolutely all they talk about.

So yeah, I like it when people have a wide range of interests to be able to talk about and such. Those are the kind of people I like to befriend.

 

The first thing I look for is to see if I can carry on a conversation with that person that can extend beyond simple small talk, or beyond that which I would normally be obligated to do (such as basic team exercises). If I want to be able to call the person anything other than an acquaintance, I need to at least be able to make that transition, and do so comfortably so it does not feel forced on either of our parts. 'Beyond simple small talk' could refer to shared interests, shared viewpoints, similar thought processes, or even sharing of parts of the inner soul - though a friendship does not need to be that personal, nor are those the only examples of such.

Another part of a friendship is each party valuing the time and needs of the other. To interact you need to spend time and resources, and if your time is mistreated - such as being treated as little more than a fixture, or otherwise the time not being made worthwhile - the friendship may not be worth it. One part of valuing each other's time is giving suggestions and ideas to stretch each other's boundaries - namely, friends will push friends out of their comfort zones so that they may grow. That doesn't mean friends will leave each other alone to fend for themselves, but rather, friends should encourage each other to try new things, and do so together.

There is also the recognising of certain personality traits, and distinguishing which parts are innate (such as shyness), which parts are admirable (such as willingness to benefit others), and which parts are bad (such as detrimental habits like excessive spending). Naturally it should be the duty of friends to address things they see as flaws or harms in the other, but they should not forcibly try to 'fix' each other, as that cannot be forced - if any fixing is to be done, it is a group effort, with both a willingness to be fixed from one party, and a willingness to repair from the other.

I could go on, but I see these as the prime traits in a friendship, as things which make friends flourish together. This post is best read with the parallel post in the topic of what a friend should not be.

 

Personally, I think a friend should be someone who is consideration others. Consideration for others has always been a huge issue for me. After all, treat others the way you would like to be treated. I feel like those who cannot be considerate to those they call their friends, aren't really friends. Everyone stands on equal ground, even if it doesn't seem that way. Seeing people treat others like trash isn't really something I love to see. I want to know that my friend is someone who is capable of compassion towards others.

 

Someone who is always willing to listen to and help you when you need them. I never noticed until now, but just about all of my friends are similar to me in the sense that they're sensitive, and can all relate to things that I've gone through/offer support based on that. I also really treasure friends that I know I can feel 100% comfortable and safe around, and talk to about anything or share my hobbies without the fear of being judged. Basically, just someone you know will genuinely care about you, will always be willing to help you through tough spots in life, and won't abandon you.