The 5 Virtues That Define A True Friend

Have you ever thought about how many friends you have? A new study claims that Spaniards have more friendships than people living in countries that surround them geographically.

But is the quality of these friendships good enough to consider them as such? In other words, do we have more real friends or just more acquaintances?

What is certain is that we abuse the word “friend”. Many of us enjoy spending time with nice people, but they don’t have to be our friends.

Friendship is more than sharing good times. What is true is that only a few are going to genuinely and sincerely care about you, and far fewer are going to be there to support you through bad times.

To become aware of the greatness of the word friendship, we are going to introduce you to the five virtues that define a true friend. 

What are the five virtues of a friend?

1. He listens without judging you. People tend to help others by sharing their feelings and opinions, but often in excess. We have probably all sinned once in having relationships with others, with an excess of ego.

A badly managed ego leads us to treat those around us with negative judgments with which we do not really seek the true and authentic well-being of our friend, relative or partner.

Precisely, these harmful criticisms often run counter to the search for a true and complete friendship.

When we need someone to listen to us, we will usually seek the company of our family, partner and friends.

In a true friendship, all action, all help and all support is born alone, without claiming anything in return. Listening means understanding the meaning of the message I am being conveyed and understanding its context.

Empathy can be described as a feeling through which we can feel the same as another person, despite going through the same situation.

When we talk about personal relationships, empathy makes a person feel close to the pain or suffering of another, because they are dear to them, or because of a matter of ethics and human emotion.

True friendship uses empathy all the time, leaving out its “me” and maintaining a silence full of affection and care.

2. He doesn’t give much importance to arguments. Receiving constructive criticism, or just an opinion that’s different from our own, doesn’t always make us feel comfortable, and sometimes it makes us feel offended.

In fact, it is a healthy and often necessary action in our relationships with others. When an argument arises with your true friend, it will be the time to decide whether or not you want to give it the importance it deserves.

True friends will take into account the true meaning of an argument, ignore unnecessary things, and they will continue to rely on you.

3. He cares about you. At some point in your life, you’ve probably thought about the following question: my friends only look for me when they need me ?

When you ask yourself this question with some of your friends, hypocrisy becomes the core of your relationship with that person.

We know that hypocrisy is a constant and sometimes sporadic attitude, which allows to feign false beliefs, opinions, virtues, feelings, qualities or standards that one does not have or that one does not practice. .

The hypocritical “friend” fakes qualities or feelings contrary to those he really experiences.

Building our lives with these kinds of relationships can generate pain and emotional distress in the long run.

Fortunately, there are still friends who, by virtue of pure and unconditional love, remember those moments that are important to you in all areas of your life.

They take care of your problems during their day, making sure you are aware that they are there, without asking for anything in return.

4. It turns your flaws into virtues. Many people around you will not like your personal flaws and will be convinced that their job will be to let you know. These personal flaws that make you unique. ..

On the other hand, you will also have the chance to have people by your side who will not pay attention to it, and who will encourage you. These true friends will be the best showcase for you.

5. He is always with you. Neither time nor distance matters in your relationship, and affection is always there. True friends will always be with you.

You know you can always count on them when the going gets tough. They will offer you their unconditional support and they will always want to be a part of your precious life as essential and genuine partners.