It's extremely simple. If that "friend" doesn’t make you feel good, she/he isn’t right for you. Take him out of your life.

We live in a time when the definition of "friendship" is deeply intertwined with bullying. And it's extremely evident among the teenagers and those in their 20s. Abusing, humiliating, degrading, putting psychological pressure, and even hitting -- these are now served in the name of "friendship".

"A good friend will come and bail you out of jail, but a best friend will be sitting next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun'!"

Yes, we're sharing such absurd and senseless quotes because, well, it sounds "cool".

Again, the process is simple. If you have a "friend" who doesn’t make you feel the way you want to feel, she/he is not a friend. Get rid of her/him from your life.

How to identify bad friends?

That said, there are a handful of classic signs of bad friend. Here are some of those signs:

i) They humiliate you in front of others

This comes in the form of making fun of your looks, how you dress, what you say and the background you come from.

ii) They never encourage you in whatever you're doing

In fact, they make attempts to pull you back. They casually toss around phrases like "you're not good enough" or "you can't do it".

iii) They complain a lot

This is one of the most fatal traits one can have. If your friends complain about other people and different circumstances, understand that they are destined to fail. And you're better off disassociating yourself from such crowd.

iv) They don't have dreams and goals

You want to do a lot of things in your life. You have goals and ambitions. If your friends do not share the same kind of enthusiasm, remember that they will end up negatively influencing you. And this will be a major roadblock for you on your way to the top.

v) They talk negatively of other people

Again, a very toxic trait. If your friends are talking bad of other people, there's a good chance that they're going to talk bad about you behind your back. Leave them. Now!!!!

vi) They don't radiate a positive vibe

To live a happy and content life, it's imperative that you surround yourself with positive people. However, if your friends radiate a negative vibe, which you will be able to recognize easily, they are not good for you.

These are some classic signs of bad friend.

In fact, if you're wondering "how to know if you are a bad friend", you can use these signs to find that out about yourself.

In case you're a bad friend yourself, it's essential that you take proactive measures to improve yourself. If not, take it at its face value: you will live a rather unhappy life.

Now, comes the next important part.

Just knowing what are the signs of a bad friend isn’t sufficient. You need to work to get these people out of your life.

Of course, this is easier said than done. Sometimes these "friends" will pull you back in the mix even when you want to leave. Other time, you won’t want to leave them in the first place because you find it much comfortable to hang around with them.

No matter the reason, once you have identified the signs your friend doesn’t respect you or care about you, LEAVE THEM IMMEDIATELY.

Stop calling or texting them. Stop responding to their communication. DON'T BE DISRESPECTFUL. But cut all the ties you have with them. If you go to the same school, college or office, spend less time with them.

Prefer to be alone than in the mix of wrong people.

Understand that you DO NOT need friends to live happily. The less the crowd around you, the more elevated will you feel. So, get comfortable in your alone-time and you will never need pretentious "friends" around you. You're fine alone!

If you feel lonely, read books, stroll in the park, watch movies… There are just so many things to do. Do all BUT stay away from negative and toxic friends. They are your biggest enemy.

Sandeep Singh

| Posted on March 8, 2019

Characteristics of a Bad Friend

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Sandeep Singh

| Posted on March 8, 2019

How to identify bad friends?