How to keep your friendships strong! From paying attention to being vulnerable!


11. Listen Closely

Another tip that ties in with being attentive to, focusing on, and respecting your friends is listening closely to what they have to say. Too often in life, people feel as if they go unheard and unwanted, and being a good friend to somebody includes truly hearing them and trying to understand what they’re going through. It’s rare to find someone who will take the time to listen without making assumptions or interrupting; so, if your friend wants to confide in you and trusts you enough to open up, then take that opportunity to show that they made the right decision. Plus, it means that they want to build a stronger friendship with you. Like we said before, being vulnerable with each other is essential for developing bonds.

10. Change Your Expectations

Although you shouldn’t necessarily lower your expectations for friends or romantic partners, if what you want is perfection, then you need to change your attitude. Nobody is perfect, including you. So, accepting the flaws of other people will help strengthen your friendships. If your friend feels as if they never measure up to your standards, can’t impress you, or feels inferior, then they won’t stick around for long because nobody wants to feel that way. Keep that in mind when they make a misstep and don’t discard the relationship because of it. If they’re a true friend, then they’d do the same for you.