Soyou have a new friend, or perhaps an old one who has shown themselves to be trustworthy. You feel close to them and want to share your secrets and experiences with them. But before you do, there are things that you need to consider.
“Betrayal is never easy to handle and there is no right way to accept it.”
— Christine Feehan
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Part I: The Dangers
If you open up too much to someone, it can be difficult or even impossible to withdraw your trust. If they do something untrustworthy in the future and you find out about it, how will that affect your relationship?
Will you see them differently if their behavior changes towards another person who is close with them?
It’s important to remember that just because someone seems trustworthy now doesn’t mean they always will be. We all change and grow over time, so we need to take precautions in case this happens, not only for ourselves but also for others around us whom we care about.
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Part II: The Lessons
1) Friendships are important but can be risky
They can be difficult to find, and once you find them, they are easy to lose. Opening up too much may cause the other person to feel uncomfortable or even betrayed by your openness.
It’s important that we choose our friends carefully so that we don’t put ourselves in a vulnerable position. It is hard enough to find true friendships without compromising yourself for someone you think might become trustworthy but not yet fully trusted.
2) Relationships can cause you to lose yourself and your identity
Friendships and relationships can both be very difficult to manage. It is important that you take your time finding trustworthy people so that it doesn’t put you at risk by sharing too much information with them.
Always remember how valuable friendships are because they can become rare if we lose trust or share too much personal information with the wrong person.
Relationships should not cause us to forget about ourselves either; even though formulating connections is an important part of life, it’s crucial to keep track of our own identity as well.
Do not let yourself get lost in another person, for this will only lead to problems later on down the road. Instead, look for someone who complements you instead of becoming a replacement version of yourself.
3) Relationships should only exist if they’re healthy for both people involved
There needs to be a balance between revealing yourself and keeping some things private. You never want to feel as if you’re being used or that the person is only interested in what they can get out of you.
If this seems like something that will happen, then it’s best to keep your distance from them because plenty of other people would value your friendship instead of seeing you as an object for personal gain.
Be careful with whom you choose to share secrets and reveal more about yourself too so that nothing comes back later on down the road when it could have been prevented by staying guarded beforehand.
Only let someone into your life if they seem trustworthy enough, not just now but also for the future, because once again, friendships don’t last forever.
4) It’s not worth sacrificing who you are to make someone else happy
Friendships and relationships are essential, but it’s crucial that you don’t lose yourself for the sake of someone else. It is better to be alone than surround yourself with people who will not respect your boundaries or appreciate what they have in front of them.
There needs to be a balance between sharing secrets and keeping some things private; only let someone into your life if they seem trustworthy enough now AND also for the future because once again, friendships don’t last forever.
Do not make sacrifices out of fear either; sacrifice should never mean losing something valuable like your identity or self-respect just so you can keep another person happy around you.
Be careful about who you choose as friends, because although finding true within this world is rare -it’s not worth throwing away your true self and becoming a shell of the person you once were for it.
5) Relationships and Friendships Can Sometimes Cause You To Question Yourself
If a relationship is bad, it doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with you — sometimes the other person just isn’t right for you. It’s okay to walk away from harmful friendships and relationships, even if it means you’ll be alone for a while.
It is important that we choose our friends carefully to not put ourselves in a vulnerable position; always remember how valuable friendships are because they can become rare if we lose trust or share too much personal information with the wrong person.
Relationships should not cause us to forget about ourselves either — look for someone who complements you instead of becoming a replacement version of yourself.
6) Resisting Peer Pressure From Society
How does society’s pressure affect our choices in romantic partners? For example, what if we’re pressured into dating someone just because they’re attractive or wealthy or have specific qualities that society deems valuable?
It’s important to follow what you believe in and not allow yourself to be influenced by other people just because they’re popular or well-liked.
We all have our own standards that may not mesh with the status quo, so it’s best if we stick to them instead of giving in to peer pressure, even though sometimes this can be difficult for some due to fear of rejection or loneliness.
7) Relationships and Friendships Isn’t The Only Way To Find Happiness
There are many ways to find happiness without having a partner or friend in your life, though, so do not make sacrifices out of fear either; sacrifice should never mean losing something valuable like your identity or self-respect just so you can keep another person happy around you.
It is important to find ways of building your confidence, identity, and self-respect so that you can be comfortable by yourself rather than constantly looking for someone else.
Finding happiness will become easier if you begin treating yourself better because even alone, you are enough.
“Trust, but verify”
— Ronald Reagan
Final Thoughts
A relationship should exist between two people who complement each other instead of becoming a replacement version of themselves; friendships shouldn’t make us question ourselves either — remember how valuable friendships really are because they could possibly disappear, or we might lose trust in the wrong person.
It’s okay to walk away from toxic relationships and friendships as long as it means we’ll be alone for a while until we discover different ways of finding happiness without having a partner or friend in our lives.
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Originally published at implementationofwisdom.com
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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