Friends are the stuff that dreams and nightmares are made of. They can lift you up when you’re feeling down or they can really whip you into shape when you need it most. Sometimes we need a good kick in the butt to get the ball rolling again and family is often times too close to home to help get you motivated.
When you can truly count on a few good friends to help you out in life, then you begin to understand just how important relationships are. Friends are usually here to stay and they evolve with you, especially if you’re the good type of friend that helps them grow, too.
Below are some of the better, more enlightening, or more entertaining answers that came out of this question and answer session. Users requested remaining anonymous and I’ll honor that request. The answers are raw, genuine, and I did my best to leave them as they were supplied, though I try to clean up any bad or hateful language.
Let’s dive right on in and see what normal, everyday folks think about this important topic in life.
Question
What is the most important life lesson you’ve ever learned about friends?
Answers
- “Friends” is a word with so many definitions. In kindergarten, it’s anyone in the same class as you. In middle school it’s your neighbor that sits on the bus with you. In high school it’s the kids who enjoy your same hobbies, sports. Usually, very few of these “friends” are still in contact with us today.Young people get so wrapped up in their “friends” that they miss out on time with their family members, who will always be there throughout their lives. Family is forever, and friendships are very temporary.
- Friends and money don’t mix. I had heard it said and I didn’t believe it – until I had rented out an apartment to my friends and at some point they had stopped paying rent. I was not mean or nasty about it, but, unfortunately, the friendship eventually ended over this issue.
- Friends are important for a person’s emotional well-being because they provide emotional support. Good friends can offer advice, someone to talk to, and many other kinds of help. However, one must be very careful when choosing friends. If a person surrounds themselves with dishonest or untrustworthy friends, then they will have poor support when they need it. Friends should be hand selected very carefully so as to ensure the quality of a person’s support system.
- Friends are key to a happy life. They are there for you when family might not be. And while you have different opinions sometimes that makes you a great diverse group of friends.
- Friends come and go but family is forever. Pretty much anywhere you go it is possible to meet new friends. At the end of the day, it is important to focus your energy on your family and work.
- Friends come and go, but the true loyal ones are always there for you no matter what. Friends are like another family member who is always there in a time of need especially when you need a shoulder to cry on. Lastly, treat all friends the same way you wish to be treated.
- Friends come and go. It is a harsh and ever changing world and even if you think your friends will be around forever, life may pull you apart. Always be the best friend you can be, but realize that nothing is forever. If you lose a friend, realize that it is an opportunity to invite someone completely new into your life. Don’t take any opportunity for friendship for granted.
- Friends –true friends — are like the brother or sister you never had, but always prayed for. Friends see you in all moods, all quirks, all miserable — and they still love you. This is because you would do the same for the friend when he or she is experience whatever life throws at them.A friend would tell you that you have bad breath, that your fly is open, that the tie you picked out was just o.k., that your car is dirty, that your cat needs a bath…in other words a friend is the best part of Mom
- I had one of my best friends rob me and at knife point, this taught me some key things about life. First was do not associate with people who do hard drugs aka Xanax addicts. The second was, do not hang out in shady/bad neighborhoods. Then third was, just because someone says they are your friend does not mean they really are.
- I have found that there are many types of friends. We have friends we grew up with. They last for a little while and rarely become friends for life. How could they when we were all going in different directions at one time. Then we have college friends. They last a little longer because usually you have similar classes and similar goals.Then there are sometimes friends. I hate these the most. They are never there when you really need them but they are still fun to hang around with from time to time. After we are adults, friendships become harder to hold because life happens, (dating, marriage, kids, divorce, and death). I have found that the only true friends that anyone can hang onto for a lifetime are spouse friends.They are the best because they know you better than you know yourself at times. They are there in all situations until the fateful day when they become an empty hole in your heart because of death. That is where I am now. My spouse friend has been gone for a year now and that is the one friendship i continue to try to hold onto.
- It’s important to have friends that you can depend on but that’s very hard to find. I have learned that family is more important since they will always be there for you. For me, my best friends are my two sister and my brother. No matter how much we may disagree or even if we don’t see each other for a while we can always count on each other.
- It’s more important to have good friends than a lot of friends. All the friends you have in high school will not likely be your friends for life. A few of them might be, but the majority of the people you saw and were friends with in High school, you do not see after you graduate. You have to find out who your friends are, and pick out the good ones and keep them close.
- I’ve learned in life that the most important thing to remember about friends is that you can make a family of your friends. My family of origin was not supportive towards my husband and I after we married and had three children. My best friend and her family have been the most loving and supportive people.I’ve been able to build a family from my friends by building on trust and mutual appreciation. It is so refreshing to know that blood is not always thicker than water and it is possible to replace family members who are mean-spirited or unkind. The most important thing I’ve learned is that friends can become our family if we choose to make them part of our family.I am so grateful I have made a family of my friends. I think a lot of heart broken people can eventually heal their own hearts by reaching out to friends and making them part of their families.
- I’ve learned that friends are extremely important in having a happy and fulfilling life. Without friends depression comes quick, as there is no support when bad events strike. Having a close knit group of friends is vital in maintaining a positive mental attitude; always treat your friends with respect and love, because they could easily leave at any moment.
- Sometimes, no matter how good of friends you are with somebody, they can still take advantage of you. It is good to have close friends, but not to depend on them completely. Sometimes, you are just better off on your own.
- That they come and go people that you think might be in your life forever only end up staying for a season or two. It’s very rare that a best friend from school will still be your best friend in old age people outgrow each other and go different ways
- The best life lesson i have learned about friends is its quality not quantity. Because a quality friend will be there every time you are in need. And they also can return to you and get the help that they need without a doubt. In a lot of cases. Those friends can prove to be better brothers than your own siblings.
- The most important life lesson I have learned about friends is to know the value and the meaning of true friendship. The term friend is becoming a casual word because of the online implications such as Facebook. But true friends are those one would call without hesitation if there was a need for help. Also friendship means to not always be on the receiving end. Oftentimes, friends should be there for each other.
- They come and go. Very rare is a friend who is a true lifelong friend. People grow apart. It just happens. So cherish those who are around for the long haul.
- True friends are hard to come across. It takes a very special person to look past all of your flaws and stick by your side through everything you may encounter. Also that a true friend will always be honest with you and will help you out in any way they can.
- True friends have your back no matter what.
- When I purchased my home, I thought that I was going to be able to flip it really fast and not live in it long. That was nine years ago. Due to economic conditions and my husband’s deployment, we haven’t been able to do many of the upgrades to put the house on the market. My advice, don’t plan to live in a house you are going to flip. Buy a house to live in first that you’ll be comfortable in.
- You either have to accept people for who they are or not at all. Your definition of happiness is different from other people’s. What works for you doesn’t necessarily work for them
- You have to treasure your friends. If you know their personalities, that’s half the battle. Sometimes they can irritate you and you need to know where they are coming from. If you don’t know the cause of their actions, you can at least remember the way they handle certain things.Friends should be in communication with each other, otherwise something could be going on that is really negative in their lives and you can’t help because of the lack of communication.. If you don’t keep in touch with them, what kind of friend are you? You can’t assume stuff about people. That is always the wrong way to go. Keep in contact with your friends even if they push you away. It may not be what you think.
- You never really know someone until you’re in a situation where they have to sacrifice for you. When everything’s going good, you can hang out and have fun, but you don’t know if that person will be there when you need them. This especially applies when helping you out might mean that they will have to suffer or lose out in order to help you.
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I hope enjoyed this series of questions and answers on life lessons. Whether you found something directly applicable or you just found reading through the lives of others enlightening, I trust you got something valuable out of this article.
Please share your thoughts or your own lessons, ah-ha’s, or generally awesome wisdom below. We want to know what’s on your mind!