It can be hard to tell the difference between fair weather friends and true and honest friends. It isn't as hard as you think though. Time will weed out those friends that aren't true and honest. In the meantime, there are some ways to tell the difference between the two.

Here are some ways to identify true and honest friends:

Sticks with You

If you have friends who suddenly disappear when you are having a rough time, they are not true and honest friends. They are not worth calling a friend if you can't depend on them in rough times. The most important determination when deciding who is true blue and who is not is how long they stay when there is rough weather ahead. If they can stand through the storm with you, they are true and honest friends.

Gossipers

Gossipers rarely make true and honest friends. If your friend likes to gossip about others, chances are, they will gossip about you as well. Stay far away from these "friends". They are not true and honest friends. A real friend would never harm you in any way. That includes when they are gossiping about you. It may be in their nature, but it doesn't have to be in your life.

Reactions

If you really want to identify true and honest friends, pay attention to their reactions. How do they react when you are hurting. Do they find it funny that you are hurting rather than offering you a shoulder? Do they seem upset when you are happy? If so, this is not a true and honest friend. This is someone who wants to see harm done to you. They take pleasure in your downfalls and are upset when you are up. Don't let yourself be fooled by their smile. They may smile to your face, but they are plotting against you when you turn your back.

Sharing

One of the first things that our parents teach us is about sharing. Our friendships are based on sharing. If you want to truly identify true and honest friends, pay attention to how much they are willing to share with you. If you are hungry and your friend knows it, he/she should offer you food if they have it. If you need to borrow something and they don't let you, this is not a true and honest friend. You need to stay away from people claiming to be friends if they are selfish. If you are not selfish with them, there is no reason they should be selfish with you.

Identifying true and honest friendship takes a keen eye. Pay attention to what the other person does. If you find that any of the above situations isn't what it should be, you have found that your friend isn't a true and honest friend after all. Get away from that person as fast as you can. There are true and honest friends out there. It's just sometimes hard to find.

Learn more about this author, Dawn Hawkins.
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