what makes a true friend essay

What Makes a True Friend? 26 Signs to Look For

How do you know if someone is a true friend or not? Finding someone you really click with can be quite a challenge.

Let us first look at the definition of a true friend:

A true friend is someone you can rely on when you need it. They treat you with respect, and being around them makes you feel good. They have your best interest at heart. You feel comfortable being yourself with them, and you can trust them. A true friend can also be called a good friend or a real friend.

In this guide, you will learn signs that can help you understand the qualities of what makes a true friend.

26 signs of a true friend

A true friend isn’t perfect, quotes about true friendship, books about true friendship, examples of famous friends.

Is this person a true friend or not?

It’s not always easy to figure out if someone is a good friend or not. Here are some signs you can use to determine if someone is a real friend. Here are 26 signs and qualities of a true friend.

1. They make you feel good

You should feel good hanging out with a friend. And after you’ve hung out, you should leave with a good feeling. [ 2 , 4 ]

If they put you down or make you feel bad regularly, there’s something important missing in your relationship.

2. They accept you for who you are

You don’t have to pretend to be someone else to fit in or feel accepted when you’re with a true friend. They don’t try to change you or make you behave in a certain way.

With your friend, you can put down your mask, relax, and be yourself.

3. They make you a better person

A true friend makes you better in so many ways…

They call you out when you’re wrong (in a constructive manner).
They make sure you’re grounded and have both of your feet on earth .
They keep you accountable for your values and your goals.
They help you live up to your full potential.
And finally, they expect you to be the amazing person you are.

4. They are honest and trustworthy

Honesty is an important part of any healthy friendship . It’s important that you can trust your friend to tell you the truth and keep their promises.

If you notice that they’re lying to you or others, it’s a sign they’re not that trustworthy. Another sign they’re not trustworthy is if they often promise you things or say they will do something.

5. They share personal and intimate things with you

The closer and more intimate you are with each other, the stronger your friendship is. [ 3 , 5 ]

This is about them opening up about the private parts of their lives and their feelings to you. And it’s equally important for your friendship to open up to them. If they open up to you, it means they trust you and value your friendship.

6. They apologize when they’ve hurt you

We get hurt even by those we love, mostly by accident. But a true friend apologizes when they realize that they’ve hurt you.

7. They care about your feelings

You can tell that someone cares about your feelings if they make an effort to make you feel good and comfortable around them. They don’t just ignore how you feel when you see each other it’s important to them that you feel good.

Your feelings are important and carry weight.

8. They want to do stuff you both like

A true friend doesn’t need to decide everything themselves. They’re not dominant and bossy. They want to do stuff that you both like.

It’s even been seen that people strongly prefer friends who look less dominant. [ 1 ]

9. They support you

You know that when you’re in a rough spot, your friend is there to support you. Same thing if you’re aiming for a new goal in life, your friend supports you to keep going.

A true friend always has your back.

Note that a true friend shouldn’t always agree with you. When you’re clearly in the wrong – they will let you know (in a supportive manner). Letting you know you’re wrong is also a kind of support – they support you in making good choices throughout life.

10. They listen to you

When you have something important to say, or when you want to be heard, you know your friend will listen. It’s important to feel heard in a true friendship.

It’s a bad sign if your friend ignores what you say and keeps talking about themselves.

11. They respect you

Respecting someone means that you value them as a person. You hold their feelings, thoughts, opinions, and rights in high regard.

A true friend should respect you by listening to you, being honest with you, and trying to keep a good relationship with you. So, respect is something that’s mirrored in most of the signs we talk about in this article.

12. They are interested in your life

A true friend shows interest in your life by asking questions about what’s happening and being curious about any new things happening. A good way to tell if they’re truly interested is if they follow up on things you’ve talked about other times.

13. They keep in touch with you

They call, message, or text you when you haven’t heard from them in a while. They make an effort to keep up to date with your happenings, and they also share what’s happening in their lives. They can also keep in touch through common social media like Snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook.

Remember that it’s not all on them, you have a responsibility to keep in touch with them too.

14. They make you feel included

Here are some ways a true friend can make you feel included:

They introduce you to their friends and maybe even their family
They invite you to social activities with common friends
The talk with you in group conversations
They don’t leave you alone at social events
They don’t make you feel left out

15. They don’t judge you

We all have our flaws and secrets, but any person worth their salt doesn’t make you feel ashamed for that. We should be able to open up to our friends, knowing that they won’t judge us. They let us be whoever we are without judgment.

16. They don’t deliberately hurt your feelings

A REALLY bad friend regularly tries to put you down, dominate you, guilt trip you, or make you feel bad.

In best cases, a true friend never does any of these things. But the important part is that they apologize and try to make it right when you tell them that they hurt you .

Read more: How to deal with people who try to dominate you or make fun of you .

17. They make you laugh and laugh with you

Humor is important. Not everyone can be a comedic genius, but all you need is a stupid joke to share a laugh. Everything doesn’t have to be doom and gloom. With a true friend, you can laugh at life’s challenges.

18. They are happy for you when something good happens to you

When you have good news, or you achieve something in your life, your friend is happy for you.

They don’t get jealous, try to put you down, or try to one-up you.

19. They don’t joke at your expense

Ever had someone said, “It was just a joke,” even if it wasn’t funny? Or “Can’t you even take a joke?”.

Jokes that make you feel bad about yourself are not okay and true friends try to avoid them.

Read more: How to tell fake friends from real friends .

20. They tell you when you’ve (accidentally) hurt them

Sometimes we hurt our friends without even knowing it. It could be something we said or something we did, maybe we didn’t invite them to an event they really wanted to go to.

A true friend would tell you about it so you could apologize and try to fix the situation. A bad friend wouldn’t tell you. Instead, they’d get bitter or start avoiding you. Maybe they’d even become passive-aggressive or talk bad about you to other people.

Note that telling you that you’ve hurt them requires emotional maturity, good communication skills, and that they value your friendship. So, if your friend constructively tells you this, they’re a keeper!

21. They tell you when you’re wrong

A true friend does not always agree with you, they also tell you when you’re wrong or misguided. But they do it in a kind and constructive manner.

Being told when we’re wrong helps us grow as persons and strengthens our friendships.

22. They forgive you

A true friend doesn’t hold a grudge against you because of your past mistakes. They forgive and move on. And If they’re really upset, they bring up the issue with you so that you can solve it together.

Forgiving and forgiveness are important qualities in a true friendship. [ 6 ]

23. They don’t just talk about themselves

It’s normal for someone to talk about themselves, but when every conversation is dominated by talking about their life, their relationships, their dreams, their opinions, and their interests, that’s not a good sign.

Read more: What to do when friends only talk about themselves .

24. They are dependable

When you need your friend, they’re there for you. You know that you can count on them to help you out. They’re reliable and true to their word. If they make you a promise, they keep it.

An unreliable friend will often say they’ll do stuff and don’t do it or don’t show up when you’ve made plans.

25. They care about your friendship

Any true friendship should be important to both you and your friend. It means that you value your friendship and hold it in high regard. It means you’re willing to make an effort to keep it going. And it means you’re willing to let go of your ego and apologize if that helps you save your friendship.

26. They don’t feel like a rival

A friend should not be your rival, they should be your ally. That means that anything good that happens to them feels good to you, and good things happening to you feel good to your friend.

You also don’t regularly fight or bicker with each other. [ 3 ]

Many points in this list might give the impression that we should expect perfection from our friends. And I want to make clear that isn’t the case. If you expect perfection, nobody can be a good enough friend for you.

Nobody is perfect. Everyone has flaws, and even the best of friends can at times behave badly. So don’t judge anyone too harshly on just one sign from this article – look at the bigger picture. Are they a good person? And are they a good person for you? As long as you’re willing to listen to each other and take feedback, your friendship will grow stronger with time.

If someone respects you and loves you for who you are, you’re lucky to have such a gem of a person in your life.

Quotes about true friendship can remind us about the important place friendship has in our life.

1. “You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” — A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

2. “The best kind of laughter is laughter born of a shared memory.” — Mindy Kaling, Why Not Me?

3. “Don’t walk in front of me… I may not follow Don’t walk behind me… I may not lead Walk beside me… just be my friend” ― Albert Camus

4. “Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.” ― Mark Twain

5. “I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light.” ― Helen Keller

Books can be a great way to get insight into what constitutes a true friendship because we get to see interactions between people and the inner thoughts and feelings behind them. Here are some recommended books that include examples of good friendships.

The Outsiders by S.E Hinton

The Outsiders is about two significant weeks in the life of Ponyboy Curtis. His relationships with his brothers and group of friends, and particularly his best friend, Johnny, are at the heart of this book. Johnny and Ponyboy share their deepest thoughts with each other and stick together when things get even more difficult for them.

”We’re all we’ve got left. We ought to be able to stick together against everything. If we don’t have each other we don’t have anything.”

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Charlie starts school with no friends but quickly gets to know Patrick and Sam, who are happy to welcome him to their group of friends. Sam and Patrick accept Charlie as he is. They laugh and have fun together, but they’re also there for the tough times and work things out when conflicts arise.

“We didn’t talk about anything heavy or light. We were just there together. And that was enough”

Harry Potter by J.K Rowling

Harry, Ron, and Hermione are a now-famous trio (although in the books, only Harry is famous) who become true friends after facing a troll together. Sure, that’s not something that will happen to you, but the book does highlight the important aspects of friendship: loyalty through the good times and the bad.

The book series follows Harry (and his friendship with Ron and Hermione) from age 11 to 18.

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. ”

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Jess and Leslie become friends when she beats him at running, and they quickly bond over imagination games. Through his friendship with Leslie, Jess learns more about the world and becomes a better person.

This book is one of the more famous books centered on a friendship between kids.

“We need a place,” she said, “just for us. It would be so secret that we would never tell anyone in the whole world about it.” … She lowered her voice almost to a whisper. “It might be a whole secret country,” she continued, “and you and I would be the rulers of it.”

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Geared towards an older audience than the other books on this list, A Thousand Splendid Suns follows two women in Afghanistan: Mariam, a 15-year-old who is sent off to marry a man thirty years older, and Laila, who joins their household two decades later. Mariam and Laila develop a close bond that helps them survive their hardships.

“We’ll take care of each other,” Laila said, choking on her words, her eyes wet with tears… “I’ll take care of you for a change.”

Books and quotes give us insights into what makes up a good friendship, but sometimes it helps to see that real people are out there making good friendships last for a long time. Here are five examples of five real-life famous friendships.

1. Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart

Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart have known each other for over forty years but became good friends when they worked together on X-Men twenty years ago. The pair knows how to laugh and have fun together, and they’re there for the important moments: Ian McKellen officiated Patrick Stewart’s wedding in 2013.

2. Oprah and Gayle King

Oprah and her bestie are so close that there are rumors they are a couple. While there is nothing wrong if that’s the case, it could be that society doesn’t know what to make of such a close connection that is not romantic or sexual. The pair have been friends for 50 years: they’ve traveled together, laughed together, and supported each other through their successes and hardships.

3. Bette Midler and 50 Cent

Although they have a 30-year age difference and very different backgrounds, the two bonded over a project when they joined forces to open a community garden in the community 50 Cent grew up in. The two have publicly praised each other and value their friendship.

4. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon grew up together and bonded over their shared interest in filmmaking. They acted together in films and eventually co-wrote (and co-acted in) Good Will Hunting, which they won an Oscar for. Over the years, the two worked together, had fun together by watching sports, and publicly defended each other.

5. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet

The two met when they starred in Titanic together in their early 20s. Although they were young adults when they met, they have now been friends for half their lives. DiCaprio walked Kate Winslet down the aisle when she got married in 2012, they’ve vacationed together, and most importantly, they value each other.

Are you unsure if someone is a true friend or not?

Describe your friend and your relationship in as much detail as possible in the comments below. I will personally answer the first ten comments and give my best advice.

Laustsen, L., & Petersen, M. B. (2015). Does a competent leader make a true friend? Conflict, ideology and the psychologies of friendship and followership . Evolution and Human Behavior, 36(4), 286-293.
Demir, M., Özdemir, M., & Weitekamp, L. A. (2006). Looking to happy tomorrows with friends: Best and close friendships as they predict happiness . Journal of Happiness Studies, 8, 243-271.
Berndt, T. J. (2002). Friendship quality and social development . Current directions in psychological science, 11(1), 7-10.
Choi, K. M. (2011). Characteristics of closest friends: A comparison among US, international and Third Culture college students . Syracuse University.
Hays, R. B. (1985). A longitudinal study of friendship development . Journal of personality and social psychology, 48(4), 909.
Tabak, B. A., McCullough, M. E., Luna, L. R., Bono, G., & Berry, J. W. (2012). Conciliatory gestures facilitate forgiveness and feelings of friendship by making transgressors appear more agreeable . Journal of personality, 80(2), 503-536.

Viktor is a Counselor specialized in interpersonal communication and relationships. He manages SocialSelf’s scientific review board. Follow on Twitter or read more .

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49 comments.

There’s a guy at work I’m really comfortable with and trust. Because I’m introverted and kind of reserved, I don’t have this level of comfort with many people. Of the 26 characteristics you list, I could easily say he has 24 of them. But say with #13 & 14 in particular, he doesn’t really include me in a lot and doesn’t get in touch outside of work. He’s a very social person with a lot of friends, so I wouldn’t expect or even want to be included all of the time. But I sense he’s very careful with our boundaries.

At first, I thought he was just generally careful of friendships with women at work (he does mostly hang out with guys, and both of us are in relationships), but here’s what I’ve come up with: He’s less likely to engage in casual togetherness with me, like hugs or sports talk, so I start to think we’re not friends, since he doesn’t seek me out like that but does others. But then if we have a meeting or a study session no one else shows for (we’re often the only two who show), we almost always go way beyond the scheduled time, and a good chunk of that is him talking…often about a recent challenge he went through or something personal you wouldn’t necessarily say to everyone. So there is mutual trust, humor, and definitely when I overcome a challenge and do it well, he’s openly and publicly happy for me. He has also apologized in the past when he did something that bothered me. And when he thinks I’m wrong, he has suggested it for me to consider without harping on it. So he’s important to me and I feel like I’m truly myself with him. I just don’t know how to read our relationship. Is he a friend/work friend or just a really nice guy and I need to not read too much into it? I don’t want to turn it into something more, I’m just trying to figure out how to think of it.

To get advice relevant to you, choose below:

What is your relationship status, how would you describe your social skills, what statement best describes you, how motivated are you to deepen your friendships, how motivated are you to find like-minded friends, do you agree with this statement “i want to be more likable”, do you agree with this statement “i want to be more interesting to talk to”, do you agree with this statement “i want to be less awkward”, what best describes you, responses successfully analyzed, where should we send your personalized tips.

Essay on True Friendship

Students are often asked to write an essay on True Friendship in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on True Friendship

Introduction.

True friendship is a precious bond shared between individuals. It is a relationship built on trust, respect, and mutual affection. Friends are always there to support and encourage each other.

Qualities of True Friendship

In a true friendship, friends are honest with each other. They share joys, sorrows, and secrets without fear of judgment. They respect each other’s differences and celebrate their similarities.

The Value of True Friendship

True friendship enriches our lives. It provides a sense of belonging and emotional security. It helps us grow as individuals and learn important life lessons.

In conclusion, true friendship is a priceless treasure that should be cherished and nurtured. It is a source of joy, support, and personal growth.

Also check:

Paragraph on True Friendship

250 Words Essay on True Friendship

The essence of true friendship.

True friendship is a profound human connection characterized by mutual respect, understanding, and unconditional support. It transcends superficial interactions, as it is rooted in shared experiences, empathy, and a genuine desire for the other’s wellbeing.

The Pillars of Friendship

The pillars of true friendship are trust, honesty, and loyalty. Trust is the bedrock, allowing friends to confide in each other without fear of judgment or betrayal. Honesty, on the other hand, ensures transparency, even when the truth is hard to bear. Loyalty solidifies the bond, ensuring that friends stand by each other in times of adversity.

Friendship and Personal Growth

True friendship fosters personal growth. Friends challenge each other, encourage personal development, and stimulate intellectual growth. They serve as mirrors, reflecting our strengths and weaknesses, thereby helping us understand ourselves better.

The Test of Time

The test of time is a definitive measure of true friendship. As life evolves, circumstances change, and people grow, only those friendships that adapt and grow with these changes stand the test of time. They are not threatened by distance or time apart; instead, they are strengthened by these challenges.

In conclusion, true friendship is a unique bond that enriches our lives. It is a testament to the human capacity for empathy, understanding, and unconditional love. The value of such a relationship is immeasurable, making it one of life’s most cherished treasures.

500 Words Essay on True Friendship

A true friendship is a connection that transcends the boundaries of self, creating a bond that is both profound and essential. It is a relationship that is not based on any superficiality but on mutual respect, understanding, and shared values. This essay delves into the essence of true friendship, its importance, and how it shapes our lives.

True friendship is not merely about spending time together or enjoying shared interests. It’s about a deep emotional connection, a sense of trust, and mutual respect. It’s about being there for each other, in good times and bad, without any expectations or judgments. It’s about understanding each other’s silences as much as words, and valuing each other’s individuality while fostering growth.

The Importance of True Friendship

True friendship plays a vital role in shaping our lives. It provides emotional support, helping us navigate through life’s ups and downs. It fosters personal growth by challenging our perspectives, encouraging us to step out of our comfort zones, and promoting self-improvement. Moreover, a true friend can be a mirror, reflecting our strengths and weaknesses without any bias, thus helping us grow as individuals.

True Friendship and Personal Growth

The value of true friendship in personal growth cannot be overstated. A true friend acts as a sounding board for our thoughts and ideas, providing constructive feedback and offering different perspectives. They push us to be better versions of ourselves, not by imposing their views, but by encouraging us to introspect and evolve. They celebrate our successes and help us learn from our failures, thus playing an instrumental role in our personal development.

The Challenges of True Friendship

Despite its manifold benefits, true friendship requires effort and commitment. It necessitates open communication, understanding, and empathy. It demands the ability to forgive, to compromise, and to accept each other’s flaws. The challenges of maintaining a true friendship can be daunting, but the rewards it brings are invaluable.

In conclusion, true friendship is a priceless treasure that enriches our lives in myriad ways. It is a bond that nurtures our emotional wellbeing, promotes personal growth, and adds meaning to our lives. While it does pose challenges, the effort invested in cultivating and maintaining a true friendship is well worth the rewards it yields. True friendship, thus, is not just about companionship; it’s about growing together, learning together, and building a bond that stands the test of time.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Essay on Value of Friendship
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Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Friendship Essay: Writing Guide, Outline With Examples

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FAQ About Friendship Essay

1. may i use friendship quotes for the essay.

Yes, it is always a winning step. You can write an essay on friendship with quotes either as the title of your essay or as an introductory phrase. You can also include it in the body of your work while narrating your story.

2. How to write a hook for an essay of friendship?

An essay should hook your reader's attention and make them want to read your story. When writing essays about friendship, you can describe a unique situation in which your friends helped you. You can also end your introduction with a catchy quote, such as Squad goals! Some other quotes that you can use include:

3. Explain the importance of friendship essay.

The importance of friendship essay is that it teaches students to express their thoughts and feelings about confidants and benefits they obtain from this connection. It also acts as a reflective tool. Friend essays also help students realize advantages of creating and maintaining good relationships with friends and how these linkages contribute to your overall wellness and welfare.

What is friendship?
What does friendship mean to me?
The value of friendship you cherish in your life.
Cross-cultural friendships.
The role of friendship in mental health maintenance.
Briefly introduce the topic of friendship
Provide a thesis statement that summarizes the main points of the essay
Topic sentence
Your main argument
Real-life examples that support your key idea
Supporting evidence
3rd Body Paragraph
Examples or recommendations
Summarize the main points
Provide some food for thought
Introduction An introduction should grab the reader's attention and provide background information. It should also include a clear thesis statement that sets a path and direction of the friendship essays.
Body The essay's body is where you will provide evidence and details to underpin your thesis statement. It should consist of several paragraphs supporting and developing a statement of purpose. Each paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of your friendliness, such as its importance, benefits, or challenges.
Conclusion Briefly summarize the essay's main points and reinforce your principal argument. The conclusion should leave a lasting impression on readers and emphasize your topic's significance. Overall, the structure should be clear and well-organized, allowing the audience to follow your argument and understand the topic's significance.
Definition and explanation. This friendship body paragraph should start with a definition and a brief explanation of its characteristics and qualities.
Importance of friends. Discuss why it is vital in your life and how it contributes to personal growth and welfare.
Types of friendships. A paragraph about friendship should discuss different types of friend's relationships that exist.
Qualities of a good friend. Discuss standards a great confidant should possess.
Challenges. Discuss the common problems that friends face.
Ways to strengthen friendship. Provide tips on reinforcing and maintaining good relationships.
Conclusion. Sum up the key points made in your essay and reiterate the importance of genuine bonds in life.
Reflect on your own experiences. Think about your own bonds and encounters you have had with allies. Avoid bad occurrences. This can inspire topics to explore in your essay. To find a subject that interests you, you can also look through internet examples of friend essays.
Ask questions related to friends, such as "What makes a meaningful connection?" or "How does the quality of your bond change over time?"
Talk to others. Ask friends, family, or classmates about their experiences. They may have interesting insights that can inspire new topics for your essay.
Start with a general search. Use search engines like Google to find articles, books, and other resources on affection.
Identify keywords. Determine the most relevant keywords for your essay, such as "essay about a friend." Use them in your search to narrow down results to the most pertinent information.
Evaluate sources. When you have a list of potential sources, evaluate each to determine their credibility and relevance. Look for sources that are written by experts in the field and that have been peer-reviewed or published in reputable journals.
Take notes. As you read, take notes on the most important and relevant information.
Grab your reader's attention. A good introduction makes them want to continue reading your friendship essay.
Provide context. Give an overview of the friendship essay and its purpose. This will make readers interested in your work.
Establish your purpose. Clearly state the main idea or thesis.
Preview the main points. Briefly summarize key points that will be covered.
Be concise. An introduction should be short and on point, generally no more than one or two paragraphs.
You could start with a quote, an anecdote, or a surprising fact.
Use examples from your own life to illustrate your points in your school college essay about friendship, as this will make your essay more relatable and interesting to read.
Friendship titles for essays should be clear and straightforward. They should also reflect your main points.
Describe the aspect of the bond that, in your opinion, is most crucial. It is possible to personalize something that means an entirely different thing to various individuals.
A road to a friend's house is never long.
Count your age with friends and years.
True friend is seen through the heart, not through the eyes.

What Is a Friendship Essay?

Purpose of an essay on friendship, ideas to write a friendship essay on, friendship essay outline, structure of a friendship essay, friendship essay introduction, friendship essay introduction example, friendship essay thesis statement, friendship thesis statement example, friendship essay body, friendship body paragraph example, friendship essay conclusion, friendship essay conclusion sample, how to write an essay on friendship, 1. come up with a topic about friendship, 2. do research, 3. develop a friendship essay outline, 4. write an essay on friendship, 5. proofread your friendship essay, friendship essay examples, friendship essay writing tips, bottom line on friendship essay writing.

Read more: How to Start off an Essay

Friendship is a special bond that unites two individuals with common interests, experiences, and emotions. It makes life easier and contributes to our happiness. It is a relationship that transcends race, religion, and socio-economic status and has power to sustain and uplift the spirit of humans. In this essay, I will explore its benefits and how it can contribute to a better world. Through personal anecdotes, I will illustrate the bond's depth and role in our day-to-day lives.

In this essay, I will explore friendship's meaning, its importance, benefits, drawbacks, and how it can contribute to a better world. Through a series of personal anecdotes, I will illustrate the bond's depth and its key role in our lives.

How to Spend Free Time with Friends • Outdoor Activities. Spending time in nature is a great way to bond with friends. You can meet, then go for a hike, take a walk, or go to a picnic in a park. This allows you to connect and enjoy the beautiful world around you. • Movie Night. Watching a movie is another fun activity you can do with friends. You can share popcorn, grab snacks, and enjoy a movie together. This is a great way to relax and unwind. • Board Games. Playing board games with friends is a fun and interactive way to spend free time. You can play classic games like Monopoly. This is a great way to challenge each other and have a good time.

Read more: How to Conclude an Essay

In conclusion, friendship is an essential aspect of our lives that brings joy, support, and companionship. It is a relationship built on mutual trust, understanding, and love. A true friend will always be there for you, no matter what. As humans, we need sincere friends to help us navigate life's ups and downs and provide emotional support. An understanding friend can withstand any obstacle and bring happiness to our lives. The connection is meant to last a lifetime, whether through shared experiences, interests, or simply a common bond. Ultimately, having a close group of loyal friends who truly care for us is one of the greatest gifts we can receive in life.

The Day my Best Friend Changed My Life.

Read more: Essay About Happiness : Tips & Examples

Essay on Friendship for Students and Children

500+ words essay on friendship.

Friendship is one of the greatest bonds anyone can ever wish for. Lucky are those who have friends they can trust. Friendship is a devoted relationship between two individuals. They both feel immense care and love for each other. Usually, a friendship is shared by two people who have similar interests and feelings.

You meet many along the way of life but only some stay with you forever. Those are your real friends who stay by your side through thick and thin. Friendship is the most beautiful gift you can present to anyone. It is one which stays with a person forever.

True Friendship

A person is acquainted with many persons in their life. However, the closest ones become our friends. You may have a large friend circle in school or college , but you know you can only count on one or two people with whom you share true friendship.

There are essentially two types of friends, one is good friends the other are true friends or best friends. They’re the ones with whom we have a special bond of love and affection. In other words, having a true friend makes our lives easier and full of happiness.

Most importantly, true friendship stands for a relationship free of any judgments. In a true friendship, a person can be themselves completely without the fear of being judged. It makes you feel loved and accepted. This kind of freedom is what every human strives to have in their lives.

In short, true friendship is what gives us reason to stay strong in life. Having a loving family and all is okay but you also need true friendship to be completely happy. Some people don’t even have families but they have friends who’re like their family only. Thus, we see having true friends means a lot to everyone.

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Importance of Friendship

Friendship is important in life because it teaches us a great deal about life. We learn so many lessons from friendship which we won’t find anywhere else. You learn to love someone other than your family. You know how to be yourself in front of friends.

Friendship never leaves us in bad times. You learn how to understand people and trust others. Your real friends will always motivate you and cheer for you. They will take you on the right path and save you from any evil.

Similarly, friendship also teaches you a lot about loyalty. It helps us to become loyal and get loyalty in return. There is no greater feeling in the world than having a friend who is loyal to you.

Moreover, friendship makes us stronger. It tests us and helps us grow. For instance, we see how we fight with our friends yet come back together after setting aside our differences. This is what makes us strong and teaches us patience.

Therefore, there is no doubt that best friends help us in our difficulties and bad times of life. They always try to save us in our dangers as well as offer timely advice. True friends are like the best assets of our life because they share our sorrow, sooth our pain and make us feel happy.

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127 Friendship Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

When you have a good friendship topic, essay writing becomes as easy as it gets. We have some for you!

📝 Friendship Essay Structure

🏆 best friendship topic ideas & essay examples, 💡 good essay topics on friendship, 🎓 simple & easy friendship essay titles, 📌 most interesting friendship topics to write about, ❓ research questions about friendship.

Describing a friend, talking about your relationship and life experiences can be quite fun! So, take a look at our topics on friendship in the list below. Our experts have gathered numerous ideas that can be extremely helpful for you. And don’t forget to check our friendship essay examples via the links.

Writing a friendship essay is an excellent way to reflect on your relationships with other people, show your appreciation for your friends, and explore what friendship means to you. What you include in your paper is entirely up to you, but this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t structure it properly. Here is our advice on structuring an essay on friendship:

Begin by selecting the right topic. It should be focused and creative so that you can earn a high mark. Think about what friendship means to you and write down your thoughts. Reflect on your relationship with your best friend and see if you can write an essay that incorporates these themes. If these steps didn’t help – don’t worry! Fortunately, there are many web resources that can help you choose. Browse samples of friendship essays online to see if there are any topics that interest you.
Create a title that reflects your focus. Paper titles are important because they grasp the reader’s attention and make them want to read further. However, many people find it challenging to name their work, so you can search for friendship essay titles online if you need to.
Once you get the first two steps right, you can start developing the structure of your essay. An outline is a great tool because it presents your ideas in a clear and concise manner and ensures that there are no gaps or irrelevant points. The most basic essay outline has three components: introduction, body, and conclusion. Type these out and move to the next step. Compose an introduction. Your introduction should include a hook, some background information, and a thesis. A friendship essay hook is the first sentence in the introduction, where you draw the reader’s attention. For instance, if you are creating an essay on value of friendship, include a brief description of a situation where your friends helped you or something else that comes to mind. A hook should make the reader want to read the rest of the essay. After the hook, include some background information on your chosen theme and write down a thesis. A thesis statement is the final sentence of the first paragraph that consists of your main argument.
Write well-structured body paragraphs. Each body paragraph should start with one key point, which is then developed through examples, references to resources, or other content. Make sure that each of the key points relates to your thesis. It might be useful to write out all of your key points first before you write the main body of the paper. This will help you to see if any of them are irrelevant or need to be swapped to establish a logical sequence. If you are composing an essay on the importance of friendship, each point should show how a good friend can make life better and more enjoyable. End each paragraph with a concluding sentence that links it to the next part of the paper.
Finally, compose a conclusion. A friendship essay conclusion should tie together all your points and show how they support your thesis. For this purpose, you should restate your thesis statement at the beginning of the final paragraph. This will offer your reader a nice, well-balanced closure, leaving a good impression of your work.

We hope that this post has assisted you in understanding the basic structure of a friendship paper. Don’t forget to browse our website for sample papers, essay titles, and other resources!

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Friendship as Moral Experience One of the things I have realized over the course of the last few years is that while it is possible to experience friendship and have a deep, spiritual connection with another person, it is […]
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Effect of Friendship on Students’ Emotional Health The study discovered a significant positive correlation between the quality of new friendships and adjustment to university; this association is more robust for students living in residence than those commuting to university. Friday and Adkins […]
Friendship’s meaning around the world Globally it’s very ludicrous today for people to claim that they are in a friendship yet they do not even know the true meaning of friendship.
“Feminism and Modern Friendship” by Marilyn Friedman Individualism denies that the identity and nature of human beings as individuals is a product of the roles of communities as well as social relationships.
Social Media Communication and Friendship According to Maria Konnikova, social media have altered the authenticity of relationships: the world where virtual interactions are predominant is likely to change the next generation in terms of the ability to develop full social […]
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The Theme of Friendship in the “Arranged” Film As can be seen, friendship becomes the source of improved emotional and mental well-being, encouraging Rochel and Nasira to remain loyal to their values and beliefs.
True Friendship from Personal Perspective The perfect understanding of another person’s character and visions is one of the first characteristics of a true friendship. In such a way, true friendship is an inexhaustible source of positive emotions needed for everyone […]
How to Develop a Friendship: Strategies to Meet New Friends Maintaining a connection with old friends and finding time to share life updates with them is a good strategy not to lose ties a person already has. A person should work hard to form healthy […]
Friendship: To Stay or to Leave Each member of the group found out who really is a friend and who is not. This implies that the level of trust is high between Eddie and Vic.
Faux Friendship and Social Networking The modern-day relationships have dissolved the meaning of the word friendship; as aromatic lovers refer to each other as friends, parents want their children to think of them as friends, teachers, clergymen and bosses have […]
Trust Aspect of Friendship: Qualitative Study Given the previous research on preserving close communication and terminating it, the authors seek to examine the basics of productive friendship and the circumstances that contribute to the end of the interaction.
Friendship and Peer Networking in Middle Childhood Peer networking and friendship have a great impact on the development of a child and their overall well-being. Students in elementary need an opportunity to play and network with their peers.
Friendship in “The Song of Roland” This phrase sums up Roland’s predicament in the book as it relates to his reluctance to sound the Oliphant horn. In the final horn-blowing episode, Roland is aggressively persuaded to blow the horn for Charlemagne’s […]
Analysis of Internet Friendship Issues Despite the correlation that develops on the internet, the question of whether social media can facilitate and guarantee the establishment of a real friend has remained a key area of discussion.
The Importance of Friendship in “The Epic of Gilgamesh” At the beginning of the story, Gilgamesh, the king of the Sumerian city of Uruk, despite achievements in the development of the town, causes the dislike of his subjects.
Educator-Student Relationships: Friendship or Authority? Ford and Sassi present the view that the combination of authority and the establishment of interpersonal relations should become the way to improve the performance of learners.
Friendship in the Film “The Breakfast Club” The main themes which can be identified in the storyline are crisis as a cause and catalyst of friendship, friendship and belonging, and disclosure and intimacy in friendship.
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Friendship in the Analects and Zhuangzi Texts The author of “The Analects of Confucius” uses the word friend in the first section of the text to emphasize the importance of friendship.
Is There Friendship Between Women? In conclusion, comparing my idea of women’s friendship discussed in my proposal to the theoretic materials of the course I came to a conclusion that strong friendship between women exists, and this is proved in […]
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The Significance of Friendship in Yeonam The paper examines the depth and extent to which Yeonam was ready to go and if he was bound by the norms of the human friendship and association of his era.
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Fate of Friendship and Contemporary Ethics Is friendship possible in the modern world dominated by pragmatism and will it exist in the future? For instance, Cicero takes the point of view of the social entity, in other words, he defines friendship […]
Feminism and Modern Friendship While criticizing these individuals, Marilyn asserts that the omission of sex and gender implies that these individuals wanted to affirm that social attachment such as societies, families, and nationalities contribute to identity rather than sex […]
Creating a Friendship Culture This family will ensure every church member and youth is part of the youth ministry. I will always help every newcomer in the ministry.
Friendship is in Everyone’s Life Though, different books were written in different times, the descriptions of a friendship have the same essence and estimate that one cannot be completely satisfied with his/her life if one does not have a friend.
Intimacy, Love and Friendship and how they translate to employability The use of love and its conventions in the NAB campaigns is an illustration of how love as a concept can be used to translate to employability.
Intimacy, Love and Friendship In the past, women in Australia led a life characterized by a lot of hardships because of the harsh traditions that they were supposed to follow.
Contemporary Understanding of Intimacy and Friendship The Social Network film discusses how Facebook was developed and the challenges of developing the giant social site. Many people are of the view that Facebook has the effect of enslaving them by making their […]
Interpretation of Friendship among Confucian and Neo-Confucian writers In his article “The Fifth Relationship; Dangerous Friendships in the Confucian Context”, Norman Kutcher explores the friendship as outlined under the Confucian system. The above writers have different interpretations of friendship of the under the […]
Why International Students Find It Hard to Make Friends On the other hand, in societies that promote a high power distance, less powerful individuals accept their position in the chain of command and acknowledge the strengths of their superiors in the hierarchy.
Gender Stereotyping and Friendship: Women Relationships The most interesting about this article is its ending which states that” the core of a friendship has to have more in-person interactions and experience”.
The Impact of Friendship in the Epic of Gilgamesh The elusive coalition between Enkidu and Gilgamesh, their fateful destinies and eventual epiphanies broaden the societal apprehension of the elements/value of friendship as expounded in the next discussion.
Woman Intimacy and Friendship with the Appearance of Social Media The anonymity provided by the social media makes this medium very appealing to both women and men as they are able to “reconstruct” themselves to a level they deem “cool” enough to garner more desired […]
Childhood Friendship and Psychology Based on their research, they have founded a theory, according to which it is assumed that the children consider close relationship, appraisals, and sharing common interests as something very important to them and on the […]
Aristotle’s Ideas on Civic Relationships: Happiness, the Virtues, Deliberation, Justice, and Friendship On building trust at work, employers are required to give minimum supervision to the employees in an effort to make the latter feel a sense of belonging and responsibility.
Gender Role Development and Friendship As far as the conflict goes, the boy’s main problem is that he is unwilling to change his behavior towards a socially accepted one under the pretext that girls are more beautiful and, therefore, it […]
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Henry Thoreau: The Concept of the Friendship Not every person is able to understand the essence of nature, its uniqueness, and importance. To my mind, his close connection to nature and a kind of isolation from people helped him to understand deeper […]
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A Literary Analysis of Friendship in Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
Factors Contributing to the Ups and Downs of Friendship in Knowles’ A Separate Peace
Friendship and Love in the Little Prince
Confidantes, Marriage, and Friendship in Pride and Prejudice
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Understanding Friendship Through The Staircase Model
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A Discussion on the Different Types of Friendship
An Analysis of Friendship in Lord of the Flies by William Golding
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A Separate Peace and Of Mice and Men – Real Friendship
The Theme of True Friendship in the Book of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The Value of Friendship in Great Expectations
What Makes A Good Friendship
The Theme of Friendship in Separate Ways by Higuchi Ichiyo and Uncanny Stories by SongLing
Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissism
The Waltz Of Sociability : Intimacy, Dislocation And Friendship
The True Meaning of the Word Friendship
A Description of Impartiality, Beneficence and Friendship According to Lawrence Blum
Aristotle ‘s Views On Friendship
Friendship and Courage in The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
An Analysis of Friendship and Loyalty in the Film The Deer Hunter
Turning Away from True Friendship
Different Types of Friendship and The Need for Friends
An Analysis of the Dangers of Friendship
The Victorian Female Friendship and Homosexual References in Emily Dickinson’s Work
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The Venerable Kassapa Thera: A Living Symbol of Dedication, Courage, Altruism and Intimate Friendship
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Building from Happiness to Friendship
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Does Borrowing Money From Friends Harm Friendship?
Can Friendship Be Defined by Any Scientific Criteria?
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Is There Any Objection to the Teacher Establishing a Friendship Relationship With the Students?
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Should Becoming Friends With Benefits Ruin Your Friendship?
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Can Everything Be Bought for Money?
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11 qualities of a good friend & ways to be an even better one.

One of the most important and formative types of relationships you will experience in a lifetime is friendship. Friends are people you can share intimacies and experiences with, and you are an important part of each other's lives. They give you a sense of belonging and security knowing you are loved and cherished by the people you most care for.

The beauty of friendship is that you get to choose your friends, unlike with family. But anyone who's ever had a negative experience with someone they thought was a friend can probably attest to the fact that it isn't always easy to spot true friendship. So we spoke with mental health experts Chaute Thompson, LMHC, and Jinnie Cristerna, LCSW, Rh.D., CHt, about what exactly makes someone a good friend and some tips on how to be a good friend yourself.

What makes a good friend?

Of all the traits a good friend could have, honesty is certainly among the most important. An honest friend is someone who can and will tell you the truth instead of lying to you to keep you happy or placate you. A good friend will tell you the truth even if it's hard, Cristerna says, because they love you.

Being nonjudgmental

A nonjudgmental friend makes you feel confident in and loved for who you are and not someone who instills self-doubt or insecurity in you. Nonjudgmental friends listen to you and do their best to see things from your point of view.

True friends accept you even when your lives move in different directions. True friends understand that your choices are yours and accept those decisions because they know that what's right for them isn't necessarily right for you.

Trustworthiness

Trust lets us feel safe with friends—safe to be vulnerable and to share our plans, our true selves, and our lives. A trustworthy friend keeps your secrets, keeps their promises, and is dependable.

Low-maintenance

Many longtime friends point to the fact that when they haven't been in touch for a while and finally reconnect, it is as if no time has passed. In other words, friends shouldn't require all of your attention all of the time and understand when life gets busy.

Tips for how to be a good friend:

Prioritize making time for each other..

Free time is sacred because we don't have much of it. At the same time, friendships grow through shared experiences and quality time together. The mark of a good friend is someone who makes time for you and makes spending time with you a priority. A good friend will also look for opportunities to maximize the time you have together by seeking fun and unique experiences that strengthen and maintain your bond.

Open up and allow each other to be vulnerable.

A good friend is someone genuine, someone with whom you can be yourself and they can be themselves around you, Cristerna explains. A good friend allows you to be vulnerable with them and vice versa, meaning you can expose your emotions and circumstances with each other and trust one another to listen, be supportive, and have each other's best interests at heart.

"Being able to have fun and share special memories are the result of having a trusting relationship that feels safe," Cristerna adds. "For example, all of my friends and I have an understanding that we support one another in every way (yes, even ridiculous ways!), unless the level of ridiculousness is too much or would create a situation where we feel uncomfortable."

Pay attention to the little things.

"A good friend is able to read between the lines of what's being said because they pay attention, and they know your heart," Thompson says. "For example, if I ask, 'How are you doing?' to a close friend and the response is 'OK,' I know immediately that she is not OK. A good friend pays attention to the details because you care to take the time to understand the heart of your friend."

Be willing to challenge each other.

A good friend pushes you to grow, will let you know when you are on the wrong path, and will "challenge you when you need to be challenged," says Thompson. And this is "all done in love and with respect." In this way, you can grow together and support each other along the way.

"In a personal story, I was angry with someone, and one of my good friends stopped me midway through my rant and said, 'Jinnie, you know you're wrong. I am always with you, but on this one, I can't ride with ya. Stop and think about the role you played in this.' That moment stays with me to this day because she loved me enough to tell me to knock it off, and it came from a place of love. I was able to receive it because of that," Cristerna explains. "That's what friends do."

But be open-minded.

To be a good friend, you have to be open-minded, says Thompson. Being open-minded allows your friend to be their true selves, especially when they are making decisions. By remaining open-minded and not inserting your own biases into your friend's decision-making, you demonstrate that you are understanding and supportive.

"Good friends support us, give us space to be ourselves and make mistakes, and they respect boundaries," Cristerna adds.

Look out for them.

"A good friend is a courageous friend who will stand up and do the right thing when no one is looking and even if it doesn't benefit them. This may not be the type of definition most people have about courage, but trust me—it takes a lot of courage to do this," Cristerna says.

For example, you might find yourself in situations where other people aren't treating your friend well or where you know your friend may be put in a sticky situation. As much as possible, a good friend is willing to stick their neck out on behalf of their friends, whether that means shutting down gossip about them, making sure they get home safe after a night out, or something else.

What about bad friends?

Here are some signs of an unhealthy friendship, according to Thompson:

You feel drained whenever you talk to them.
The friendship is one-sided, meaning every time you talk to them or try to share with them, somehow the conversation turns around and goes back to them.
They aren't making time to listen to you or allow space for your contributions to the conversation.
Your time or boundaries are not being respected.
They don't respect your feelings.
You often feel belittled by them.
You feel overly reliant on each other, a hallmark of codependent friendship .

Friendship entails reciprocity and respect, Cristerna adds. Without these two qualities, the relationship will be limited and fizzle over time. When you are in what feels like a toxic friendship or codependent friendship, it is best to determine what is the healthiest way for you to end the friendship .

In communicating the need to end the friendship, you want to ensure that you own the decision and be clear about how the relationship does and doesn't work for you. This is not the time to blame, however—in fact, this is a time to forgive and ask for forgiveness with grace and ease. Ending a friendship is already hard enough. Cristerna recommends trying to be compassionate, so if you cross paths again (and you usually do), you can say hello and catch up in a comfortable and natural way.

The bottom line.

A true friendship is defined by knowing someone has your back, no matter what. A good friend will watch out for you and ensure you are safe, feel supported, and are loved. A good friend will never purposely lead you into making decisions or taking actions that aren't good for you. A true friend will always have your best interests at heart.

Here's more on how to deepen adult friendships and how to create a lasting friendship .

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What Is True Friendship?

Friendship is often defined as a relationship of mutual affection, platonic intimacy, and care between individuals. Like other relationships we have, including with family or romantic partners, friendship may have challenges. “Real” or "True” friendship can be terms used to describe healthy relationships between two or more friends. As healthy relationships contribute to mental health, many individuals may wonder how to cultivate this type of friendship.

Healthy friendships may be long-term bonds between those with healthy boundaries, mutual respect for one another, and positive intentions. Unhealthy friendships might be formed from a desire for money, status, or another external reason. For the most part, a healthy friend is someone who respects your boundaries, remains trustworthy, and shows you empathy.

True friendship explained

What is true friendship? Several factors might go into a healthy friendship connection, including the following.

True friends can show empathy to each other. Empathy is an experience of feeling the emotions of others or being able to put yourself in their shoes. By empathizing with someone, you can see why a particular situation or subject may matter to them. In a friendship, empathy might look like offering moral support during difficult times, actively listening when someone talks about their feelings, or understanding when a friend makes an honest mistake.

Someone seeking friendship with others for impure motives might struggle to feel empathy. Friends who end connections with others due to minor mistakes or inconveniences may also see friends as disposable.

Trustworthiness

The more you spend time with someone, the more you might get to know them. Over time, you'll often learn their behavioral patterns or how they treat you and other people. Being trustworthy is one of the important qualities of a good friend . A true friend will likely not betray you, disregard your limits, or make you question yourself. They may support you when they're able, try to remain open in communication, and stick to their word.

Mutual respect

Real friends are usually ones that have mutual respect for one another. Although both parties may not always agree, they could still admire each other and believe they're both doing their best and acting out of positive intentions. Close friends may argue or disagree at times. However, disrespect might include behaviors like:

Disregarding one friend's boundaries
Being passive aggressive or giving the “silent treatment”
Abandonment
Making light of physical illnesses
Cruel jokes
Being late to most scheduled hangouts
Peer pressure

Elements of friendship

In most cases, true friendship requires empathy, trustworthiness, and mutual respect. How someone acts when they see someone else succeeding or failing can indicate how they feel about the relationship. True friends may continue to be in your life through struggles and gains as long as the relationship is healthy.

When you're in the company of a real friend, you might feel comfortable and at ease. Frequently unpleasant emotions in the company of a specific individual could indicate an underlying issue.

Healthy friends might also allow you to have other friends and connections. Although possessiveness might be associated with unhealthy romances, friends could also demand complete fidelity. However, connecting and building friendships with more than one person can be normal.

How friends behave around others in their lives

How one behaves around the people in their life might show how they would act as a friend. An individual who gossips, spreads rumors, or complains about friends in their absences might do the same with you. In many cases, it can be unhealthy to simply accept this behavior or continue associating with that individual.

How to find healthy friends

Finding trustworthy and safe friends can feel challenging if you have previously experienced unhealthy relationships. However, it may be possible. There are a few ways you can try to make healthy friends, including:

Attending a social group at school, on campus, or at work
Talking to coworkers at your place of employment
Connecting with like-minded individuals in an online social group
Talking to those who seem to have made healthy efforts in their lives
Avoiding those who seem to discard friends often
Going to a platonic blind dating event
Meeting people at an event like pride, the farmer's market, or a fair
Asking your current friends for recommendations
Attending university
Joining a volunteer organization
Going on a group trip

You may find unhealthy people in any situation. However, set boundaries and use your judgment to determine who might be a healthy choice to connect with. You do not have to stay friends with someone hurting you or acting unhealthily with others in their life.

Therapy options

Speaking with a counselor or therapist may be beneficial if you want to determine whether your friendship is healthy or learn how to make new friends. A therapist may be able to give you advice regarding your friendships or other relationships you are confused about. If you live with social anxiety or struggle to make time to meet with a therapist, you might also benefit from online therapy, which allows you to choose a schedule that works for you.

Online therapy has been proven to be as effective as in-person therapy for many symptoms, mental health conditions, and concerns. You can choose whether to meet with your online counselor via video, phone, or live chat sessions, and you can message them after sessions if you have any questions.

Online platforms like BetterHelp can be beneficial if you struggle to find a therapist in your area.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is real and true friendship? What are the signs of true friendship? What is the value of true friendship?

What is the foundation of true friendship? What makes a good friendship? Does true friendship last forever? What is the most important thing in friendship? What makes a relationship a true friendship? What are 3 signs of a toxic friendship? How do you keep a friendship strong? What causes friendships to end? When to end a friendship? What is true friendship? And the top 6 secrets of making friendships even stronger.

What is loyalty in friendship? How do you express true friendship in words?

Our Complete List: Relatable Songs About Friendship Medically reviewed by Karen Foster , LPC
The Little Things That Can Harm A Friendship Medically reviewed by Laura Angers Maddox , NCC, LPC
Relationships and Relations

The Importance of Friendship

Friendships are a crucial part of living a fulfilling life..

Posted July 26, 2021 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

Friendship makes life more enjoyable and enriches one's everyday experiences.
Finding friends can be challenging but can be often achieved by approaching others with mutual interests.
The first criteria one should look for in a partner is someone who is ultimately a good friend to them.

As we move through life, we find that there are many things out of our control. We can’t choose our parents, our genetics , or control the things that happen in the world around us. One thing that we can control is who our friends are, and this decision can either make our lives so much richer and beautiful, or more stressful and disappointing. Today we’ll focus on how to choose friends who enrich our lives and make them more beautiful.

Why friends are so important

Having solid friendships is important for two main reasons. First, they make life more enjoyable. We get to share the beautiful aspects of life with people who we love, which can enrich our everyday experiences. Second, our friends help us through the difficult times. Having friends to support us through hard times can make unimaginably difficult situations seem more tolerable.

The most beautiful part about pouring our time and energy into friendships is that not only do friends help enrich our lives, but we enrich theirs too! Friendships get us through the tough times in life, make things more fun and enjoyable, and all-around make our lives better. I urge you to take stock of your friendships and ask yourself if your current friends people build you up and support you, or is the friendship more one-sided?

As we explore friendships today, these are also inclusive of our partners. I believe that the foundation for any healthy relationship is friendship. So it’s important to group our romantic partners into this conversation too.

So, where do we find friends? This might sound silly, but finding friends can be challenging! When I first moved to California for my Ph.D., I didn’t have any friends out here. There were quite a few people in my program that I enjoyed spending time with. But, towards the end of school, they became very busy and were no longer able to dedicate time to hang out anymore. Thankfully, through the help of a very good therapist, I learned that it was important to enjoy life instead of striving for excellence all of the time. As a result, I learned how important it was to carve out time in my life for friends.

Unfortunately, the people I had dedicated time to thus far were achievement-oriented and were pouring their time into work and not our friendships. This forced me to seek out other ways to form connections with people. I ended up finding a local hiking group with the hopes of meeting people with similar interests. During one of these hikes, I met Jim, one of my best friends to this day.

We became instant friends. We have continued to support each other over the years, and even more importantly, we always make time for one another. We both view the friendship as one that makes each other’s lives better, therefore it’s always worth the time and energy. The backbone of any successful friendship is one where both sides put in equal effort and support.

Both Jim and I were forced to put in more effort when he moved across the country to the East Coast. Because we already had such a strong foundation, this didn’t impact our friendship. We talk all of the time and see each other several times a year. We make the relationship a priority no matter what coast each other is on. Like anything in life that is valuable to us, we must work at it and put time and effort into it.

When it's time to move on from a friendship

The second part of the friendship discussion can be a difficult one — reassessing your current friendships and potentially moving on from friends who don’t add value to your life.

Two of my best friends from high school went down different paths from me. We still keep in contact, but I don’t spend too much time with them anymore. The supporting, loving part of our relationship wasn’t there anymore, so it was no longer worth putting energy into maintaining a friendship that had changed so much.

This may be a story you can relate to. What I hope you take away from this post is this — friendships take energy, time, and commitment. And if you’re putting your time and energy into someone who isn’t enriching your life and giving you the support you need, it may be time to reevaluate that friendship.

If you find yourself in the market for friends (who isn’t?) I recommend you find groups or activities that you genuinely enjoy. This way you’ll have the opportunity to connect with people who have similar interests. And once you’re there, take a risk! Talk to people, exchange contact information, and follow up with them. It may feel scary at first, but the reward outweighs the momentary uncomfortable feeling you may have.

Friendship and dating

In many ways, the most important friendship in our lives is the one we have with our romantic partners. The first criteria we should look for in this partner is someone who is ultimately a good friend to us, meaning that they are kind, positive, loving, and supportive. If we’re dating someone and they’re a jerk, it’s probably safe to assume that they’re not a good friend. To avoid this, I recommend seeking out someone who is a good friend first, i.e. before the romance and sexual stuff gets in the way.

When there are bumps in a friendship or a romantic relationship , it’s important to work through those tough times. The tricky part is that it will take two people to fix that issue. We can only control our actions and hold ourselves accountable, but we cannot control our friend or our partner's reaction. In addition to our own actions, we have control over the friends or partners that we choose in the first place. If we prioritize choosing good people who we can trust will work through issues with us, then we can work through anything.

Friendships are a crucial part of living a fulfilling life. It’s so important that we surround ourselves with people who we have fun with, who support us, and people who make us better. You may already have beautiful friendships in your life, but if you’re still in the market for friends, it’s never too late to cultivate new relationships that will make your life even more magnificent.

Robert Puff, Ph.D. , is host and producer of the Happiness Podcast, with over 16 million downloads.

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'We are the champions' plus other qualities every good friend should have

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Friends-having-a-good-conversation-qualities-of-a-good-friend

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What are the qualities of a good friend?

How to spot a bad friend: 3 tips.

The importance of good friends

How to find good friends: 3 tips

The tough part of friendship, finding fulfillment through friendship.

You’ve probably had a lot of amazing — and not so amazing — friends over the years. Knowing what made the great ones stand out from the rest can help you choose the right friends going forward.

Friendships make life more meaningful and are good for your health . Great friends offer emotional support and make you feel loved and connected . These experiences are critical to your mental health and social wellbeing , which is why it’s so important to choose your friends wisely and treat them well.

But sometimes finding, or even being, a good friend is tough. And for many, making friends as an adult already feels harder. Gone are the days where you could simply approach someone and ask, “Want to be my friend?”

Life is busy, filled with distractions and obligations. But in these moments, knowing the qualities of a good friend is even more important. You need a supportive friend the most when work is stressful and personal problems are weighing you down.

Whether you have too many best friends to count or are still looking for one more, knowing the characteristics of a good friend can help you appreciate your current relationships and make new, meaningful connections .

Not every person you meet will become your new closest friend. And approaching meeting new people with an eye toward making a best friend might even cause stress and possibly make people uncomfortable. A network of loose social connections is valuable to both your well-being and success, too. These friendly connections are what form a community .

Many people in your life will move along the spectrum between acquaintance and best friend. These different relationships are all important. Understanding where someone fits on and differentiating what you expect from the relationship is helpful.

But anyone you call a friend should live up to certain standards if you’re going to invest in the relationship. And you ought to, as well, if you want to retain meaningful and mutually enjoyed connections.

From casual acquaintances to personal cheerleaders, here are 11 important qualities of a good friend.

1. They live with integrity

A friend with integrity acts in alignment with their values and commitments. They have strong moral principles and will speak or act when someone violates these principles. They’re also self-aware and behave and speak in consistent ways. Because of this, you can rely on what they say they’ll do.

2. You can trust them

A good close friend is honest and speaks from the heart with good intentions. They tell you what you need to hear in a respectful and loving manner, so it doesn’t feel hurtful. Because you know they have your best intentions at heart, you can be vulnerable , insecure, and weird with them.

3. “Dependability” is their middle name

There’s no time for fair-weather and flaky friends. A good friend respects this, trying their best to show up, keep promises, and do what they say they’ll do.

That doesn't mean they’ll be dependable in every situation. This friend might always be a little late, but you know you can depend on them to offer a listening ear when you’re going through a hard time.

4. They’re loyal

While blind loyalty is never great, since it might cause you to overlook red flags and toxic traits , great friends are generally loyal to their people — unless these people aren’t great friends back.

A loyal friend sticks by you through your highs and lows, offering a helping hand or a listening ear whenever they can. They listen to your side of the story, give you the benefit of the doubt, and defend you when you deserve it.

5. They have empathy for others

Empathy involves understanding others’ emotions and experiences, and a great friend easily does this for you. If you’re distraught because you didn’t get a promotion , this friend does their best to put themselves in your shoes so they can offer you more thoughtful and meaningful support.

And if they know you really well, they might intuit your feelings before you express them, providing comfort and guidance before you even expected it.

Friends-on-Vacation-qualities-of-a-good-friend

6. They’re good listeners

Excellent listening skills are one of the most important qualities of a good friend. Great listening allows your friend to understand how you are feeling, retain important information about you (like your favorite food or activity), and validate your emotions. They can only truly know who you are and offer excellent advice if they're actively listening .

7. Their confidence is contagious

A great friend has enough confidence for the both of you, making you shine in social situations and offering you courage when you don't have it. They’re self-confident and think you should be, too, since they think you’re the best.

8. Spending time with them makes you feel good

Perhaps the most crucial trait, you should feel great spending time with this person. Social vampires and toxic relationships might exhaust you, but spending time with an excellent friend is something that should cheer you up and energize you. This is someone you’re comfortable seeing even on your most burned out days because it’s not work.

9. They make you laugh

Laughter is life’s medicine, and great friends dole it out in tonnes. Humor reduces stress, brightens your mood, and leads to a greater sense of belonging — all things a great relationship should do. So if your friend makes you laugh, know that this seemingly small trait might actually be increasing your well-being.

10. They're non-judgmental

While they might offer “real talk,” bringing you down to earth with critical insights, real friends never make you feel bad about yourself. They offer a safe space for you to work out issues, share insecurities, and discuss hard topics.

Great friends have your best intentions at heart, no matter what, and simply want you to be happy. And they also understand that your road to happiness is unique to you, so they’re ready to support you as you change throughout your life.

11. They’re low-maintenance

Great friends don’t want to be a burden. While they’ll expect some quality time, care, and consideration from you, they’re low-maintenance and won’t hold your busy-ness against you. And when you reconnect, it’s like no time has passed.

These are excellent friends to be around since they’re also low-drama, avoiding gossip and making hang-outs lighthearted and fun.

Intuitively, you’ll likely know you’ve spotted a bad friend because you don’t want to spend time with them. They tire you out, make you feel judged, and don’t align with your interests and values. In many circumstances, your bad friend won’t be someone else’s. You might want to befriend someone that’s more reliable and available than the next person, or maybe what’s most important to you is interest alignment, like if you both work in the same industry.

You can determine what you require in a friend — and what the sure-fire deal breakers are — by brainstorming and writing down your friendship goals . That said, here are some bad-friend traits extending to all situations:

They constantly “one-up” you: These friends always make their issues seem more significant than yours. If you tell them about your bad day, they tell you how their day was worse. And if you’re proud of an accomplishment , they mention how they did it better and sooner. This constant competition invalidates your feelings, and good friends don’t do that.

They’re a bad influence: They encourage you to participate in risky behavior or activities that make you uncomfortable. And if they don’t respect your boundaries , they’re not worth having in your life.

They bully and belittle you: Some “friends” only keep you around to make you feel bad. To feel better about themselves, they take you down — and that’s simply not friendship, it’s bullying . Instead, great friends raise you up, offering support and affirmation to help you become your best self .

The importance of good friendship

When you have good friends , hard times seem more manageable, and you feel supported and celebrated for who you are. And when times are tough, you know you have someone to count on. No matter the distance or situation, they always seem to know how to make you feel better.

A good friend doesn’t need to share your every interest, but they value what’s important to you and never belittle your passions and hobbies. And when you’re doubtful about your value, they quickly remind you of your importance and what makes you unique.

Having great friendships also means you :

Gain a sense of belonging
Feel less socially isolated and lonely
Have support during tough challenges, like losing a loved one
Prevents health problems like high blood pressure and heart disease

ceramic-masters-have-fun-at-their-desk-qualities-of-a-good-friend

Making new friends as an adult is difficult. Between work and other obligations, it’s hard to put yourself out there, but it’s worth it.

Here are three tips for finding more healthy friendships.

1. Try different communal activities

If you’re doing an activity you enjoy, chances are high you’ll meet like-minded people. And studies show that most people seek friends who are similar to them , so you could try attending group activities with strangers to make new friends .

So many activities exist that’ll expose you to new people, like dance classes, language courses, and exercise groups. Even if you’re shy , you could try less social events like painting or sculpting classes. And if you’re intimidated by trying something new, join an activity you’re already good at to remove this barrier.

Here are some options for meeting new people with similar interests:

Attend local events: Having local friends makes it easier to hang out and stay in touch, plus you might have more in common. You can find local networking and social events online or on community boards, or even ask around at your workplace or with current friends.
Volunteer: Helping out a cause you feel passionate about ensures you’ll meet new people with concurrent values. You might help out in a soup kitchen or with a beach clean-up, trying your best to chat to strangers each time you attend.
Find a new social hobby: A great way to meet people is by taking on an out-of-home social hobby, like joining a sports team or book club. You might just go to the same spin studio weekly, building community that way.

Group-of-women-in-fitness-class-qualities-of-a-good-friend

2. Become your own best friend

If you’re a great friend to others, that means you can also be a great friend to yourself. And considering yourself “a friend” means you might treat yourself more kindly and compassionately, like you would your other close connections.

This self-love also boosts your self-esteem and confidence and helps you practice how to treat people well. And these traits won’t go unnoticed by current and future friends.

Take yourself out on a dinner date every once in a while, give yourself a positive pep talk, and enjoy cozy nights doing free time activities you love. Because you deserve it.

3. Be a good friend to others

Great friendship is based on reciprocity: to find good friends, you must be a good friend. Self-reflect, perhaps journaling or talking aloud, to determine whether you embody the traits listed above, like being a good listener and offering your friends a no-judgment safe zone. Then make a self-improvement plan practicing any missing qualities.

True friendship isn’t always sunshine and roses. You might fight, fall out of touch, and feel jealous of each other — all of which can strain an otherwise great relationship.

watching-a-movie-at-home-qualities-of-a-good-friend

And sometimes, your friend’s decisions won’t make you happy. You might have to confront them about a bad work ethic or toxic trait. These conversations aren’t easy, but they’re necessary if you want to be a good friend. If you communicate openly and honestly, your relationship can survive any rough patch.

Building meaningful relationships takes work. You must be vulnerable with others, honest about how you feel, and supportive when people need you. And you have to trust your gut when you feel like someone’s a negative influence in your life.

But the struggle is worth it. Now that you know the qualities of a good friend, you can find people to support you during tough times and help you feel more fulfilled in life. Great friends offer belonging and meaning — what’s more important than that?

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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Essay on A Good Friend in English

Table of Contents

Essay on A Good Friend in English for Children and Students: A true Friend is the greatest gift of our life which is hard to find and once you get never let him go. ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed’ this famous quote is completely accomplishes the meaning of true friendship as true friends are always stand by you when you are in need. Friends who prove the closest, dearest, loyal, faithful and the best companion are called true friends.

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Long and Short Essay on A Good Friend in English

Five different essays are given in this section on the topic of ‘A good friend’. All good friend essays are in simple English language and useful for essay writing competition for students in schools and colleges. You can select any essay on a good friend as per your need and interest:

Short Essay on a good friend – Essay 1 (200 words)

A true friend is the person who is believed to be the closest and dearest one for any boy or girl. Without any friend life is just meaningless and dull. To find a good and best friend is just like to win the half of the world.

A good friend‘s company always matters a lot in the success of a person. A child learns good or bad habits from his or her friend but if one gets good company as friend he is the luckiest person in word. Never lose those friends who were always besides you in your bad time.

We can’t live our life alone we need a friend on every stage of it. Any relation can be stronger if it adds friendship in to this for example a father or a mother can be the first friend of their child who helps them in growing with best upbringing for the better way of life. Friendship is the relation where friends listen and try to understand each other’s problems. Thus we can say that this relation is about good listeners. Therebefore there is nothing can be hidden among true friends and friends never lies to their best buddies. This is the greatness of true friendship.

Essay on What Makes a Good Friend – Essay 2 (300 words)

Introduction

A true friendship is the most beautiful blessing from god which is needed to be treated and nourished like any priceless thing in world. A good friend is someone difficult to find with no expectations and no demands. A true friendship has the quality of different shades with lots of sentiments sometimes they get happy, sometime they get emotional and some time they fight with each other but that doesn’t affects their true friendship.

What makes a Good Friend?

True friends are always caring, loving, loyal, passionate, a little bit critic and most importantly trustworthy towards their friends. These qualities make a friend as a good friend. However the person who cheats you, talks behind your back and laughs at you can never be your true friend. Friendship is the relation where friends listen and try to understand each other’s problems. Thus we can say that this relation is about good listeners. To have a good friend is always like getting a real pearl.

Is Friendship Matters with Status?

Friendship has never bounded by people’s financial status. A king can be a true friend of a poor beggar and a poor labour can be a good friend of a rich industrialist. Lord Krishna was in unconditional true lovable friendship with poor Sudama. Friendship of Krishna and Sudama is a milestone for all of us. Therefore they were like soul mates. Their friendship was on that level where if one get hurt other feels the pain.

To follow the simple rules of friendship is not easy for all it require a kind of faith trust and loyalty towards their friends. It is purely blessed relationship we get in our life and needs to maintain with some dignity. A friend might be of our age or of different age group but it doesn’t affect the quality of true friendship.

Essay on True Friendship and what is a True Friend – Essay 3 (400 words)

A good friend is the only relation which we earn in life. To find a one who is loving, caring, helpful, honest, loyal, and most important compatible is the biggest achievement of us which we get in form of true friend. Since childhood we always learn some things new and exciting in the company of our good friends. A fun time spent with friends is a kind of some happiness that can’t be express. Whether you make group study or enjoying in someone’s birthday party it is always fun with friends.

True Friend – the Secret Holder and Best Companion Ever

True Friends are the closest one with whom we can share each and every secrets of us. We trust them and feel safe in their company. True friendship is there where we don’t need to say our problems in words, true friends already understand the emotional expressions of their loving ones. Some of friends always remain the best friend for whole life and can never be replaced by any other person or relation. Therefore this is the value of true friendship.

A true friend is one who always being there for helping you in different circumstances whether good or bad. Friendship is the relation which is not limited to any particular age group. A person always needs a true friend in every stage of life.

This fast running world has always creates different circumstances in one’s life but with the help and guidance of a true friend you can easily overcome from those situations. After parents true friends are the real well-wishers of us who can even slap us when we are wrong.

Bonding between two friends is just hilarious as whether they live near or far their connection never breaks due to any misunderstanding or any communication gap. They feel close to each other when they require. May be you have a list of many friends but the important part is how much true friends you have, this is the real gain in life. Thinking of that time which was spent with friends always makes you feel happy and emotional.

True friends proves best companion too with whom we enjoy and learn a lot in life that is priceless happiness which cannot be express. A trustworthy relation is always believed to be among friends. True friends are real achievement in life’s journey. Good friend is just not a friend who is good enough but it is someone who is believed as quality friend. You should always value to your true friend and never let them go.

Essay on Qualities of a Good Friend – Essay 4 (500 words)

A true friend is found with full of qualities and makes their friend either him or her luckiest person in the world. After family a child always search a friend to play with or to share their secrets. Childhood friend are the first company for the people with whom they start learning the new fresh chapter of life. A Friend can change a person’s life completely. Whereas one side a good friend helps their friend in getting heights of success on the other side a bad company can destroy their friend’s life completely. It is our duty to find good one as our true and best friend.

Qualities of a Good Friend

True friends come with various qualities which makes them someone special in one’s life. Here we are pointing some qualities of a true friend and also its impact on friendship:

A friend is the need to live here with some expectation like to share some secrets and to express good or bad feelings. A good friend is one who listens carefully to his or her friend without making fun of it. Thus we can say friends are also good listeners.
Adding to this talking or bitching behind the back of one is not the quality of a good friend. Friends are those who believe in saying their opinions and advices direct to their friend. And also friends are those who understand their friend’s suggestions and advices with full devotions.
Friends have the quality of caring sharing and comparing. Therefore they care other, share their things together and sometimes they get lightly jealous from each other. These are all the mixed shades of a true friendship. A true friendship is just about happiness, togetherness and the biggest part loyalty among friends. Friends are like special gift from god which is priceless.
Friends are the person who always bare orders, complaint, criticism and also sometime anger of their dear friend. They never complaint and expect from each others as they know these are little things in front of their real true friendships.
Reliability enhances the quality of a true friend. A person can easily rely on his or her friend for any kind of task whether it is easy or difficult enough.
True friends are like soul mates whose place can be replace by anyone on any condition. Each one is stand like a pillar for his or her friend in their difficult situations. A good friend is always there when you in need and supports you in whatever the circumstances are. That’s why a relation of true friendship becomes the most lovable relationship among all for any child, teenage or adult.

This life is full of ups and downs and on each stage you need someone who can understand and support you with no any expectation. Those special persons called true friend. Friendship can be between two boys, two girls, one boy and also one girl or any two persons of different age group etc. True Friends has always its special place in one’s life whether they meet once in a week, month or a year. True friendship always done by heart not by mind and thus it is something special.

Long Essay on a Good Friend: Trustworthy and Loyal Person – Essay 5 (600 words)

Friends are the medium by with a person can live life with more happiness, excitement and enjoyment. Good friends comes with definition of loyalty and trustworthy. A true friend never let his or her friend alone during their tough time. This bonding creates a pure relation of true friendship.

Childhood friends always remembered for whole life of a person. They actually denotes to true friendship. With a friend a life becomes easy on every stage of it and results always in better way. It is quite obvious that definitely there would some issues or fight between friends but it makes their relation more strong. To have a good friend is always like getting a real pearl.

Good Friend a Person Who is Loyal and Trustworthy

Friends are those who become the part of their friend’s happiness and true friend are those who always support them in their bad or tough time too. Quality of loyalty makes a friend as true friend. However loyalty is a vital virtue for any friendship. A loyal friend always helps in need, care each other’s feelings and shares secrets without any question. Loyalty enhances the purity of a friendship.

Two persons of any age group can be friend, they like to spend time with each other also share their secrets, sadness, emotions, happiness, and expectations from life. Loyalty is must in this kind of friendship as without trust you can’t be able to express your feeling with anyone. Loyalty and trust matter from both sides in a relation of true friendship. A friend needed to trustworthy for this healthy relationship of friendship. Thus this relation is difficult to express or describe only people who involve in true friendship can feel the fragrance of it.

A type of friendship relies on the behaviour and a mutual understanding between two or more persons. A surrounding of some close or good friend helps in making the life easy and meaningful also helps in handling Challenges comes in every stage of life’s journey. Only the presence of your good buddy in you bad time gives you a moral support and helps a lot in overcoming that tough situation. A friend always needed either you are happy or you are sad. No matters they are far or near a good friend is one who never let his or her friend alone in their bad time.

Good friends are always honest and loyal to their friends they never backbite or betrayal their friend. People who praise someone on their face and say bad behind their back not counted as true friend. Definition of good friends is one who is honest, loyal, and trustworthy for his or her friend. Good friend is hard to find but when you get its god’s blessing. Loyalty and trust needed in every relationship along with friendship. A person who is not loyal is not eligible for becoming even a friend. Good friends are the secret holders of each other. Therefore they have blind faith on their true friends. Friends share their secrets to each other only based on the trust they have between them.

True friendship is like a result of any worship or we can say when God wants to help someone he sends a person as a true friend of him or her. True friends are those who understand without even saying what your friend needs, this is the quality of a good friend. Never let your true friend go from your life, it is a kind of pure and divine relation which we earn from life.

Essay and other Topics on Friendship for Students and Children

what makes a true friend essay

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What Makes a True Friend? 26 Signs to Look For

26 signs of a true friend

1. They make you feel good

2. They accept you for who you are

3. They make you a better person

4. They are honest and trustworthy

5. They share personal and intimate things with you

6. They apologize when they’ve hurt you

7. They care about your feelings

8. They want to do stuff you both like

9. They support you

10. They listen to you

11. They respect you

12. They are interested in your life

13. They keep in touch with you

14. They make you feel included

15. They don’t judge you

16. They don’t deliberately hurt your feelings

17. They make you laugh and laugh with you

18. They are happy for you when something good happens to you

19. They don’t joke at your expense

20. They tell you when you’ve (accidentally) hurt them

21. They tell you when you’re wrong

22. They forgive you

23. They don’t just talk about themselves

24. They are dependable

25. They care about your friendship

26. They don’t feel like a rival

The Outsiders by S.E Hinton

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Harry Potter by J.K Rowling

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

1. Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart

2. Oprah and Gayle King

3. Bette Midler and 50 Cent

4. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon

5. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet

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What makes a good friend?

Being nonjudgmental

Trustworthiness

Low-maintenance

Tips for how to be a good friend:

Open up and allow each other to be vulnerable.

Pay attention to the little things.

Be willing to challenge each other.