Alright, let’s talk about friends, yeah, friends. You know, those folks you hang out with, sometimes they’re good, sometimes… well, let’s just say they ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. We gotta figure out the bad ones, the ones that give you that gut feeling, you know, like when you ate too much greasy food. We gonna call them “friend red flags”. Don’t ask me why red, maybe ’cause red means stop, like a stop sign, and you should stop being friends with them, I dunno.
First off, you gotta watch out for the ones who always talk about themselves. You tell ’em your chicken died, and they start yapping about their prize-winning rooster. You say your back hurts, and they say, “Oh, you think your back hurts? Let me tell you about my back!” Blah, blah, blah. It’s all me, me, me with them. Ain’t nobody got time for that. They make everything about them, always gotta be the center of attention, like a rooster in a hen house. That ain’t right. A good friend listens, you know? They care about your chicken too.
- They never listen.
- Always talking about themselves.
- Your problems ain’t as big as their problems.
Then there’s the gossips. Lord have mercy, these ones are trouble. They whisper, they giggle, they always got some dirt on somebody. And you know what? If they gossipin’ to you, they gossipin’ about you. Mark my words. You tell ’em a secret, and next thing you know, the whole darn town knows your grandma wears dentures. Can’t trust them gossips, no sir. They like hens clucking, always stirring up trouble. A real friend keeps your secrets safe, locked up tight like your grandma’s jewelry box.
Another thing to watch for is the jealous type. You get a new dress, they gotta get a better one. You get a raise, they suddenly need more money too. They can’t stand it when something good happens to you. It’s like they got a little green monster on their shoulder, always whispering nasty things in their ear. They ain’t happy for you, they just want what you got. That ain’t friendship, that’s competition, and ain’t nobody want a friend who’s always tryin’ to one-up you. Jealousy is a bad sign, like a storm brewing on the horizon.
And don’t forget the ones who are always borrowin’ stuff and never givin’ it back. They borrow your sugar, your lawnmower, even your good church shoes, and poof! Gone like a fart in the wind. You ask for it back, and they got a million excuses. “Oh, I forgot,” “Oh, I’ll bring it next time,” “Oh, the dog ate it.” Yeah, right. A good friend respects your belongings, they don’t treat you like a free store. They return what they borrow, and they don’t keep askin’ for more and more.
Pay attention to how they treat other people too. If they’re rude to the waitress, or mean to their family, or talk bad about their other friends, that’s a big red flag waving in your face. If they treat other folks like dirt, sooner or later they gonna treat you the same way. A good person treats everyone with respect, it don’t matter who they are. How they treat others is how they’ll treat you, sooner or later. It’s like watching a weathervane, it tells you which way the wind is blowing.
Now, some folks might say, “Oh, you’re just being too sensitive.” But I say, better safe than sorry. It’s like checking the eggs before you bake a cake. You don’t want a rotten egg ruining the whole thing. If something feels off, it probably is. Trust your gut, that little voice in your head. It’s there for a reason. Don’t ignore those red flags, don’t make excuses for bad behavior. You deserve good friends, the kind who lift you up, not drag you down. The kind who are happy for you, who listen to you, who have your back. Those are the friends worth keeping. The rest? Well, let’s just say they ain’t worth the trouble.
And listen, it ain’t nothin’ wrong with havin’ lots of friends, men, women, it don’t matter. What matters is how they treat you, how they make you feel. If they’re makin’ you feel bad more often than they’re makin’ you feel good, well, it might be time to say goodbye. Life’s too short to waste on bad friends.
So, keep your eyes peeled, watch out for those friend red flags, and don’t be afraid to cut ties with the ones who ain’t treatin’ you right. You deserve better, and you’ll find better friends, the ones who are true blue, the ones who are worth their weight in gold.
Tags: [Friendship, Red Flags, Toxic Friends, Relationships, Social Skills, Interpersonal Skills, Warning Signs, Emotional Health, Healthy Relationships, Self-Care]
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