Some individuals find it simpler to make and keep friends than other people. And some of us yearn for deeper bonds with others or wonder why a once-promising relationship failed. In certain situations, we can be tempted to criticize a friend’s actions before our own. Maybe we don’t realize how important interactions are to relationships. They say that examining our role in the dynamics of a relationship is crucial. Only our actions are under our control, yet some personality traits must be developed if we are to form strong, enduring friendships.
The 13 Essential Friendship Traits
Which statements do you agree with the most?
- I am reliable.
- I tell them the truth.
- I am generally highly trustworthy.
- I am devoted to the ones I love.
- I can trust people quite readily.
- I feel and show empathy for other people.
- I have the capacity for objectivity.
- I can listen well.
- I encourage other people in their happy moments.
- When others are struggling, I am there for them.
- I have self-assurance.
- I can typically find comedy in life.
- I’m enjoyable to be around.
These characteristics may be divided into three broad groups, each of which is a crucial component of relationship conduct. You could find it difficult to form genuine, long-lasting connections if you discover that you strongly disagree with several of the above.
Listed following the category of behavioral expectations each characteristic comes under, the following information describes how each trait affects relationships:
Traits of Integrity
Trustworthiness, honesty, dependability, loyalty, and, as a linked attribute, the capacity for trusting others, represented by the first five traits on the list above, are connected to key values upheld by most civilizations.
- The “make or break” factor in every interpersonal interaction is often trustworthiness. Any break may ruin a relationship, regardless matter how big it may seem. While each of the components that make up trustworthiness—honesty, dependability, and loyalty—is essential to healthy relationships, honesty and dependability be the most crucial in the context of friendships.
- Speaking necessitates that we do so from the heart and with objectivity.
- Friends can rely on you to be there when you say you will, carry out your promises, and defend them when necessary, particularly if they cannot do so for themselves. This is what it means to be reliable. If a friendship doesn’t fail, it often becomes surface-level, less interesting, and even resentment-provoking when you are just as likely to disappoint people as to come through for them.
- From the moment we form our first friendships, loyalty is important in all our interactions. We need friends that won’t reveal our personal information to others, spread rumors about us, or let others judge us.
- Being at ease with vulnerability is a prerequisite for being able to trust someone. It is unlikely that your buddy would readily agree to do this if you have trouble being your true self with them.
Traits of Caring
These characteristics, represented by the features numbered 6 through 10 above, include empathy, the capacity for objectivity, skillful listening, and the capacity for assisting in both good and bad circumstances. These qualities need introspection, self-control, and unwavering affection for our companions.
- The capacity for empathy is the capacity to comprehend what is happening with a friend, to identify how they are feeling, and to engage and react in a way that is considerate of them.
- Accepting a friend’s decisions, regardless of how they may vary from our own, shows that we can be nonjudgmental.
- Effective listening is necessary for sharing personal ideas, emotions, and experiences. Giving and receiving in this exchange happen gradually and become deeper with time.
- Being a good friend means being there for people when they need it most, but it also means being there for them while they are having a wonderful time. According to the proverb, everyone likes a winner, but for some of us, this is not true. The depth of your connections may be limited if you find it difficult to rejoice in another person’s success and instead feel jealousy or resentment.
Traits of Congeniality
Self-assurance, the capacity to find humor in life, and friendliness are included in this category, represented by the last three characteristics described above. This triad of characteristics is also connected to general wellbeing and pleasure in life.
- Self-assurance is a desirable quality in a buddy, and it could even spread. We usually feel more confident about ourselves when we are among other confident people.
- Fun-loving people are more enjoyable to be around than those who always have a cloud over their heads. The former maintains a positive outlook, engages in proactive problem-solving, and enjoys life.
- People who can find comedy in life can better handle the curveballs (or spitballs) life throws our way. Friends who can prevent us from taking life too seriously benefit us all.
You Must Acknowledge the Need for Increasing Your Friendship Quotient Before You Can Do It.
Remember that each person contributes a unique combination of the 13 attributes to their interactions. On the other hand, the best friends generously share this baker’s dozen. Examine your actions honestly to see if you need to increase your “friendship quotient” to increase the chance of keeping the close relationships you want.
