When it comes to social connections, one of the invaluable social connections that we make is the relationship we have with friends.
There are friends that we have established deep connections with so much that they have become a very important part of our lives.
These types of friends are the ones we call best friends. When the word best is used for something, it means it comes first among others. Your best friend is that one person who comes before your other friends.
There are qualities that someone might have shown before we consider such a person beyond just casual acquaintance. In this article, we shall explore all the amazing qualities of a best friend.
When you are done reading this article maybe you will be able to tell if that friend is indeed your best friend.
16 Qualities of a Best Friend
1. They are Dependable
Someone you consider your best friend is someone you can always depend on. That one person you know you can rely on. One of the noticeable qualities of a best friend is that they give you reliable support.
They are concerned about your well-being; these are the people you know you can count on in trying times.
2. They are Honest
People who you call your best friends should not lie to each other. Your best friend is someone who should be able to tell you the truth, no matter how bitter the truth may sound.
If you have a best friend who lies to you, maybe that person is not deserving of being your best friend. If you need an honest opinion, the best person to get it from is your best friend.
Friendship should not dwell on lies, deceit, or falsehood. It should dwell on sincere communication where the two people can openly express their feelings and opinions.
If you are not yet at this level with someone you call your best friend, I’m not sure that person can be called your best friend.
3. They are Respectful
Respect is one of the attributes of a best friend. Friendship is built on mutual respect, as it only takes two people who truly respect each other to relate together as friends. This is because these are two people with different characters, beliefs, and backgrounds.
Even with their differences, they value themselves, respect boundaries, and don’t impose their beliefs or ideas on others.
A best friend doesn’t look down on you or make you feel inferior. This is what respect is all about and that’s one of the qualities of a best friend that sets your friend apart from other people.
4. They are Forgiving
No matter how much you love your best friend, there are times you will disagree, quarrel, and have misunderstandings. This is not an unusual thing in any relationship; it is meant to happen.
However, when this happens, your best friend should be able to forgive you. It’s okay for them to get angry and express their displeasure when they are hurt but they shouldn’t hold on to your wrongs for too long.
Your best friend is someone who loves and values you and one way to show that they do that is through forgiveness, which is one of the qualities of a best friend.
5. They are Accepting
Your best friend accepts you for who you are. Acceptance is among the qualities of a best friend that make friendship work. Friends can not always agree on the same thing or have the same attitude.
However, a best friend will understand you and won’t judge you for your weakness. They don’t try to impose their ideas on you or try to change you; they understand that it’s a form of uniqueness.
6. They are Loyal
A best friend is different from a fair-weather friend, who only shows you support when things are rosy and smooth. A best friend will be there to support you even in trying times.
You can count on someone you call your best friend to defend you even in your absence. This is because you believe they are loyal to you and they will never do anything to hurt you or dent your image with others. A true friend stays committed to you and will never do anything to betray your trust.
7. They are Thoughtful
Thoughtfulness is the act of being considerate of the needs and feelings of other people. Your best friend is considerate of your needs and feelings.
They show up when you need them even without necessarily asking; they know what they should do, and they know how they should help because they are thoughtful.
They don’t forget the important dates in your life and they always show up for you. It’s one of the qualities of a best friend you will find in a friend who genuinely cares about you.
8. They are Fun to be with
The moments and time shared with your best friend are filled with shared laughter and happiness. Best friends are people you love and enjoy their company with.
This is why we always look forward to spending time with people we call our best friends because it’s usually a moment of fun and this usually helps to create strong bonds in a relationship.
9. They are Caring
A best friend will always demonstrate how much they love and care about you. Your best friend is always going to make you feel special and loved.
There are different ways to know when a friend cares about you; such a friend will do anything beneficial to your growth and success. They listen to you, encourage you, and celebrate your success.
10. They listen to you
Your best friends do not always make it about themselves every time. They give you listening ears. They listen to your complaints.
If you are feeling frustrated or having a bad day and you feel like ranting and need someone to pour out your feelings to, your best friend is the person you can do this to because they listen to you.
They do not just listen to you; they also know how to make you feel good and calm you down. Your best friend knows the best words to say to you to cheer you up.
11. They are trustworthy
Someone who is your best friend has to be someone you trust, because why would they be your best friend if they are not trustworthy? Don’t forget that this is someone who tells you the most things about you.
Your best friend probably knows the things that most people don’t know about you. If the person you call your best friend goes around telling other people about you, such a person is not your best friend because he or she is not trustworthy. This is why one of the must-have qualities of a best friend is trust.
12. They are supportive
Friends are people who support and help each other. One of the qualities of a best friend is supporting your goals, your business, and everything that you set out to do.
They are interested in seeing you succeed, so they render help and support in ways they can. It can be financial or moral support. They treat your business like it is theirs because they are interested in your growth. They are not jealous of you.
13. They are protective
One lovely thing about your best friends is that they are protective of you. They always look out for you and they don’t want anything that will hurt you to be close to you.
This is because they love and care about you so they want to make sure that nothing happens to you. This is why, when your best friend sees that there is someone who is not treating you well or trying to hurt you, they try to protect you from such people.
This act is from a good place and that is what friendship should be all about. Friends should try to look out for each other.
14. They are patient
Patience is what allows your friend to be understanding and tolerating. Sometimes your best friend has to tolerate your excesses because there are times when you can do some annoying things, yet they do not leave you; they are patient with you and do not take these things to heart.
They still stick around regardless because they know that you may be having a bad day and that it is unusual for you to act in such a manner.
15. They are comforting
When things are really hard for you and you need a shoulder to lean on, your best friend will always be there for you. They know how to comfort you and make you feel better by showing empathy, care, and concern, offering helpful advice, and supporting you when they can, so that you know that you are alone.
16. Friendship involves Sacrifice
Sometimes your best friends have to make sacrifices for you. There are times when they may have to make inconvenient choices or compromise for your well-being.
This act stems from their genuine love for you. Your best friend may sometimes have to go to extra lengths for you because they want to help a friend in need. No wonder there is an adage that says, ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed.’
Conclusion
All of the qualities of a best friend that have been examined sum up to one thing. It tells you that someone who is your best friend is someone who loves you because it’s only a friend who loves and cares about you who will do all this and beyond for you.
If your best friend has these qualities, then hold on to that friend, because it only means that a friend is a good person, and you know what they say about good people. ‘They are hard to come by.’ You may let your best friend know that you love and appreciate their friendship.