What Constitutes A True Friendship

Friendship is the most important bond among all relations. Friendship is not only a complete relationship in itself but also the foundation stone of many other relationships. Though there are no pledges in friendship, there is no blood connection between friends yet they bond together with the chords of care, share, love, respect, understanding and a lot more. There are famous proverbs, "Whoever has found a true friend has found a rare treasure" and "The only way to have a friend is to be one." Both the proverbs complement each other completely. There are many elements, which constitute a true friendship. Let's discuss some of them here - 

1. Understanding - It is not necessary that both the friends should have the same nature or the same approach towards every situation. Their likes and dislikes can differ. They should take care of this and should never impose their likings on others. Instead, try to have a better understanding of your differences for your friendship to work smoothly.

2. Honesty - If there is no honesty in a friendship it is not a true friendship as honesty is the cornerstone to any relationship. As said by Plutarch, "I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better." If your friend asks for your thoughts on anything related to them be honest and give them a sincere and candid reply. Do not enforce your thoughts on your friend just share them and let the final decision be taken by your friend.

3. Keeping the trust intact - Besides investing emotions, and time a friend also invests their trust in us. It is easy to earn someone's trust it is even easier to break it, but the toughest part is to sustain that trust. If your friend discloses you something about himself, or herself keep it under wrap  because once broken the trust can never be earned back.

4. Supportive - A true friend is like a pillar of strength. There are many situations, when family does not support us despite the fact that we are right. It is only a true friend who stands by us in such a tough situation. "A true friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out." A true friend knows us inside out, and we do not need to prove ourselves before them.

5. Attentive - We all have something to say about our happiness, sadness, problems, anxieties, work pressure, and a lot more. Sometimes we find ourselves in the grip of the complexities of life and have no answer to our questions. At that time, a true friend comes as our saviour. They listen to us patiently, and there is so much tranquility in there presence that we are able to hear the sound of our own soul.