In today’s materialistic world, finding a true friend can be difficult. In your life, many people come, but knowing who stands out as the best friend can help you a lot. A good friend makes life meaningful and manageable. The support and love you can get from a friend are helpful for your mental peace and physical health.
A good friend always stands with you in thick and thin. Moreover, he respects you and accepts you with all your flaws. But how can you judge someone as a best friend, or you are finding a friend but don’t know how to recognize a true friend? No worries! We have listed some of the top qualities of a best friend.
What are the Qualities of a Good Friend?
“A true friend is forever a friend.” -Quote about friendship by George MacDonald
This quote defines the true friendship goal. A true friend is always with you, no matter the circumstances. But not every person who comes into your life can be your best friend. Not everyone you meet or know wants to be your best friend.
You can find your dearest friend from your community or someone who wants to spend time with you and enjoys your company. To clear up your confusion, here are the 10 qualities of a true friend based on characteristics so you can decide who your best friend is.
10 Best Qualities of a Good Friend
1. Trustworthiness
Trust is the most critical factor in a strong relationship. Trust lets you share yourself, secrets, thoughts, and fears with a friend. Any breach of trust can ravage friendship. A trustworthy friend always keeps your secrets that you should want to hide from everyone. Trustworthiness can lead to a relationship that lasts long.
2. Honesty
With honesty, a relationship builds or lasts forever. Honesty leads to many more characteristics. An honest person never lies to you. They don’t pretend to be someone they’re not or say things they don’t mean just to make you feel better. Instead of lying, a sincere friend always speaks the truth no matter what you dislike, because he knows that this truth can lead to long-term success.
3. Good Friends are Loyal
Loyalty leads to a true friendship. A good friend is loyal and you can trust him unquestioningly. A faithful friend never backbites you. They never let anyone criticize you or make anyone laugh at you. Loyalty makes a person the most well-wisher of you and never deceives you or reveals your secrets in front of others.
4. Empathy
Empathy lets a friend understand your feelings. He always knows your emotions and experiences and does their best to get rid of any unwanted situations. A good friend has empathy in abundance. He always cares for you, is available to listen, and suggests a solution that can help you a lot. If you’re struggling with thoughts like ‘why can’t I make friends,’ a truly empathetic friend will listen without judgment and offer support and guidance.
5. Respect
Respect is an essential factor for a good relationship. A good friend always respects your feelings and emotions as an individual. They respect each other’s emotions, thoughts, and points of view and don’t argue about each other’s thoughts. Giving personal space is also included in respect. A good friend always treats and thinks about his friend as he wants to be treated.
6. Good Listeners
Another trait of a good friendship is being a good listener. Good friends listen to each other ideas and thoughts very carefully and attentively because they care for each other. Listening carefully lets them easily understand their favorites, problems, feelings, and emotions. As a result, they can know more about each other. Moreover, they can give each other new ideas according to personality and circumstances.
7. Not Judgmental
A good friend always has a soft corner and a positive attitude towards yourself. They always feel good in critical or fundamental talks but understand who you are and give positive suggestions. They never criticize or humiliate you. If they have found something or any bad habit in you, they point it out positively. This positive attitude can bring out tremendous and good changes within you.
8. Encouraging
A true, genuine friend is like a cool breeze in your life. They are the true lover of yourself. They motivate you and feel true happiness about your success in any field. A good friend is never jealous of you. Good friends help you to find happiness, laughter, and courage when you lose them.
9. Humor
As Jim Hayes says, “A good friend helps you move. But a best friend helps you move a dead body.” A true friend’s sense of humor wakes when he finds yourself worried or sad. Good friends know how to cheer up each other. They make fun of each other, enjoy, and never get bored of each other company.
10. Forgiveness
A sincere friend forgives mistakes and doesn’t keep them in their heart for long. He never holds a grudge in his mind and forgives past mistakes. Don’t humiliate each other by repeating the error again and again. Forgiveness can make a friendship stronger than it was before.
Benefits of Good Friendship
Having a good friend is a great blessing in life. A good friendship has numerous benefits for our overall health.
- Friendship reduces stress, makes you feel fresh, and works like a relaxant that helps you cope with anxiety.
- A good friendship can alleviate the loneliness that harms a person’s mental and physical health.
- Friendship makes you confident, as a good friend encourages and supports you by highlighting your capabilities.
- A healthy friendship or relationship dramatically impacts your life, and a person with a supportive friend or partner has a healthy and longer life.
- A good friend can add years to your life by improving your immune system.
- It enhances your mental health.
- A good friendship helps you deal with troubles and traumas.
- Your personality improves, and good characteristics build.
- As cliche as it sounds, good friends make you happy. You can have fun together, make memories, and enjoy the present without worries.
Tips for How to Be a Better Friend
Remember that a good friend is the most precious thing in one’s life. So, keep these valuable tips in mind to be a better friend:
- Always available for your friends when they need you.
- Speak truth.
- Listen to your friend attentively.
- Don’t be judgemental of your friend.
- Be honest and understanding.
- Celebrate and praise the success of your friend.
- Keep in touch with your friends, whether on a call or via social media apps.
- Love and support each other.
Final Words
Finding and maintaining a good friendship is crucial for a healthy life. With the given characteristics you can find a good friend. This is not an exhaustive list, but you can find a better friend based on these qualities. Mindfulness apps can also help. They help build lasting relationships by improving self-awareness and communication skills.
About the Author: Muhammad Arslan
