10 Types of Friends You Need In Your Life
Everyone needs great friends and we all deserve to have people in our lives who are close to us and bring out the very best within us.
Most of us have had moments in our lives where we come across toxic friends who do nothing but drain us, exhaust us, suck the energy out of us and make our lives miserable. These types of friends are the worst, and we are all better off without them.
When it comes to friendships, it all about quality, not quantity. It’s not about how many friends you have, it’s about having friends who bring happiness and positivity to your life. If you find yourself often attracting toxic people or struggling to make friends, then here are the 10 types of friends you need in your life right now.
1. The Cheerleader
The best kind of friend to have is to have the one who cheers you on and encourages you to be the best person you can be. A good friend always supports you and encourages you to pursue your goals and dreams, and they celebrate your achievements with you. Also, you need to have friends who pick you up when you feel as though you’re not progressing, because sometimes, the way to personal goals is full of trials and tribulations, and a true friend would understand that.
2. The Joker
You need a friend who knows how to cheer you up and bring humour to your life, especially when you are feeling down. Life can get so hard sometimes, so we all need someone who’s a bit cheerful, and a friend who knows how to make you smile and crack the best jokes is the best type of friend.
3. The Chilled Out Friend
It’s so important to have a friend that allows you to be the authentic version of yourself. True friends love and embrace you for who you are, and they accept you instead of expecting you to censor yourself. There is nothing worse than a friend who picks on every little thing you say or do, or the friend who makes you feel self-conscious about yourself. Also, the chilled-out friend is usually very understanding: they won’t expect you to sacrifice who you are and your important priorities for them.
4. The Visible One
There is nothing worse than a friend who doesn’t make the effort with the friendship, or the friend who is flaky and bails out on plans last minute, or the friend who doesn’t bother to communicate with you. A true friendship doesn’t feel non-existent and a true friend will normally be visible. Of course, there are times that a friend may not be available. In reality, no one can be available 24/7 but it’s important to have a friend who is willing to maintain a sense of closeness instead of fuelling the distance.
5. The Adventurer
Life is about broadening your horizons and stepping out of your comfort zone. The Adventurer is the sort of friend who happily encourages you to explore your interests, work towards personal progress and seek to be the best version of yourself. The Adventurer is open-minded and willing to accept differences in opinions and experiences.
6. The Honest Friend
The Honest Friend doesn’t lie: she or he is willing to be straightforward with you instead of stringing you along. They are willing and able to assert themselves and verbalise their expectations instead of using manipulative tactics. Also, The Honest Friend is not only honest but they accept honesty. A true friend would accept your honesty and treat it as a good thing, instead of viewing as a personal attack on themselves.
7. The Loyal One
Loyalty is an important component of friendship. Without loyalty, the friendship is less likely to thrive. True friends stick by you and stand by your side no matter what. In relation to loyalty, respect is important. A true friend will respect you for who you are and they will respect your boundaries too.
8. The Voice Of Reason
This is linked to honesty, but The Voice Of Reason is the friend who acts as the peacemaker when issues arise and tries to find a resolution instead of stirring the pot or milking a situation for what’s it’s worth. The Voice Of Reason is not afraid to be honest and she is not afraid to be assertive. She’s able to deal with a situation head-on and find the solutions to a problem instead of letting it fester. The Voice Of Reason is also like the Agony Aunt: she is mature and she gives helpful, useful and productive advice.
9. The Compatible One
Compatibility in friendships is key. A lot of the time, friendships are formed on the basis of common interests. The Compatible Friend shares similar interests to you and holds similar beliefs and worldviews. There isn’t anything wrong with possessing different thoughts, but having compatible views makes the course of the friendship a lot easier because it means that you are likely to have more in common with your friend.
10. The Empathizer
In life, we all go through hardships, and that’s why it’s important to have a friend who understands and empathizes with you. Empathy is different from sympathy: sympathy is the act of pity, while empathy refers to the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. A friend who understands your plight or at least put themselves in your shoes for a moment is not just special - a friend who empathizes is a total gem.