This is part two of the previous article on friendship. Today, we will discuss three characteristics of good friends and bad friends, in point form.

Good Friends:

There are three characteristics of good friends:

1. Honesty:

The first and foremost rule of good friendship is honesty. As I have mentioned in the previous article, trust is an important aspect of friendship. An honest friend can serve as a reflection of you. They are not afraid to point out your mistakes and will not hesitate to give you advice. What they say may hurt your feelings, but if you calm down and think about it, they actually say things to help you, not to hurt you. When in doubt, always think about their intentions first.

2. Forgiveness:

Good friends forgive each other’s transgressions. Friends don’t hold grudges against each other. If somebody hurt your feeling and without you telling them to, they ask for forgiveness first, then forgive them. Show them what a good friend will do, so that they may follow.

3. Knowledgeable:

A good friend is knowledgeable. They may not know everything, but if their knowledge is sufficient to help you out when you are having tough times, it’s good enough. It is better to have a friend who knows the solution to your problems than to have a textbook full of information, because friends listen to you, and just that can make people feel a lot better.

Bad Friends:

Bad friends also come in three flavors, just like good friends. Keep a discerning eye, and avoid them.

1. The Hot-headed:

Hot-headed people always jump to conclusions first without even thinking about the circumstances. They also think whatever they say is always right. They are great at starting drama and conflict, because they can easily get people to their side by making ridiculous claims. Even if they are loyal to you, they can still get you into a lot of trouble. In this case, try to get them to calm down and tell them the facts. Giving them more time to re-think their actions is the best way to deal with hot-headed friends.

2. The Indecisive:

Indecisive friends are quite opposite to the hotheads. They usually don’t have their own ideas. They also tend to be persuaded by people around them. As a result, they give poor advice to you. They can also cause you to miss opportunities because when it’s time to make a decision, they chicken out at the last moment. If you have such people on your team, it’s best to encourage them to stand up to what they believe in.

3. The Back-stabber:

This type is the most dangerous, as most of yourself are familiar with. They don’t usually care about what you think and feel. They pretend to be your friend, but possess none of the above three characteristics of good friendship. They only want to use you, and threaten to blackmail you f you disagree with them. The result can be tragic. Although they are tough to distinguish from your real friends, you can always check if they are honest or not. Once exposed, they will leave you alone for good. But beware; they may be hunting for their next victim.



If you happen to have a lot of friends, you can use this rule to check if they are good friends or bad friends. Remember, you can change some of your bad friends to good friends. A rule of thumb is that tell your bad friends how to become good, if they listen, they are still good! Also, you might need this rule to check yourself. Are you being a good friend, or a bad friend?

All comments and discussion welcome.