What Makes A Good Friend

It is said that the true value of friendship cannot be measured, but treasured. If you are among those fortunate few who claim to have good or best friends, you know that this could not have been more correct. You can have many kinds of friends from childhood, school, work or friends who are friends of your friends. Do you treat them all of them on an equal pedestal? Well, obviously not. This is because it is difficult to treat all at par as not all are compatible in nature and attitude. You may strike instant friendship with somebody; however, it may take years for you to maintain it, dealing with its ups and downs before you get to know the person thoroughly. When you reach a level of understanding where you can speak your mind freely without donning an artificial smile, without worrying about calling anytime, without caring to remember who last paid for lunch and without worrying about being judged, you will know that you have a friend for life. Good friends indeed make life worth living. Friends become good friends only because they possess certain unique traits that make them different from the rest. To know what makes a good friend, read on.

Traits Of A Good Friend

Complete Acceptance
The first and foremost quality that distinguishes a good friend is his/her ability to accept you as you are, without seeking to change you in any way. He/she does not make you feel wretched when you make mistakes, and neither does he/she gloss over the fact that you have erred. Even though you may not be at your best, he/she will treat you the way you want to be treated.

Honesty And Sincerity
A good friend does not feel the need to pretend with you. S/he will be in his/her element when you are around. This is because there is no reason to impress you or others for personal gain or objectives. Friendship cannot be fortified if the key elements of sincerity and honesty are found lacking.

No Scores To Settle
If your friend is one who keeps track of who called last, or who spent more money, or who forgot whose birthday, rest assured s/he can never be a good friend. A true friend will not care two hoots for keeping score cards. All that s/he will want is to care for you in the least conspicuous way.

Support
Fair-weather friends will come asking for your help when they need your help and support, but will never be around when you want their help. On the other hand, a friend who is genuine will support you through thick and thin and will never leave your side. S/he will lend all possible support to you and will see to it that you attain your goals.

Togetherness
The desire to be together comes naturally for good friends and they will always be with you if you are experiencing the dullest of days, or having some problems in life, or having momentous occasions such as your graduation or birthday to attend.

No Criticism
If your friend comments on all that you do or say and judges you at the drop of a hat, s/he can never be good friend material. The cornerstone of good friendship is complete acceptance which negates criticism. If you criticize, you cannot be a good friend, and vice versa. Hence, friendship has no place for scornfulness or grudges. Good friends can disagree with you, but they can never make you look inferior for that.

Happy To See You Happy
Your happiness is a source of her/his happiness too. If you have a friend who finds joy in your success and never gets jealous, you indeed have a good friend. They can gauge when you are happy, sad, excited, shocked or upset. If you are down in the dumps for some reason, your friend will know how to make you happy and wipe away your blues.