It is a universal truth that true friendship is above mercenary motives. True friends share each other’s problems in good faith, without involving any material consideration. The welfare of each is sacred to the other. There is an iota of doubt that friendship implies an understanding between two or more souls on the common problem of mutual interest in life. Bacon quotes that a friend is another himself. Below are the top 5 characteristics of a genuine friend.
1: A GREAT ASSET:
It goes without saying that a genuine friend is a great asset whose existence helps sorrow ends in life. If there were no outlets to reveal his suppressed emotions, he would be consumed by tension and depression. Friendship offers an outlet to give vent to one’s suppressed feelings. Man needs some channel to express his hard days.
2: A BONA FIDE CRITIC:
It is said that only a true friend tells you when your face is dirty and when you need the right counseling. A genuine friend is a cruel critic of his friend’s shortcomings. He spots out his friend’s follies and mistakes bluntly in one-on-one conversation and always avoids highlighting them in public. Besides, he always highlights positives in a very plausible manner and spots out shortcomings with sugarcoated words. He knows the deep recess of his friend’s mind and often very easily digs out the solution of the problem, finally.
3: A SELFLESS SOUL:
The present times are times of selfishness and greed. People in the guise of sincerity only approach a person when he is economically well. But in the case of a true friend, the most important shade of his personality is his selfless approach. He moves on with his friend through thick and thin without any ulterior motives. He does not run this sacred relationship with a business-minded approach; rather, he facilitates his friends whenever they need his help. He does not run relations through the calculator; instead, he knows the sanctity of the relationship and keeps standing by his friends on their rainy days.
4: A GREAT LISTENER:
Listening is one of the greatest artists of highly effective communication. Thus, A genuine friend always knows the importance of listening. Instead of being a chatterbox or following one-way traffic, he listens with great attention and empathizes with his friends whenever they need him. He knows that if he ignores the problems of his near and dear ones, they will not confide in him. He always gives his ears whenever he is asked for help.
5:A MAN OF ACTION:
It is rightly stated that ‘actions speak louder than words. A true friend always believes in the right actions. He avoids projecting hollow or tall claims. He does not open his tongue unnecessarily or executes verbose conversations to impress others. He loves to remain silent to avoid idle talk.
The importance of friendship is summed by Virginia” Woolf- an English novelist when she says ‘some people go to the priest, others to poetry; I to my friends. Indeed, friendship is a sheltering tree that affords man protection against forces of unfaithfulness, deceit, etc.
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