Top 5 Desirable Qualities To Be A Great Friend

Having even just one good friend in this world can make all the difference. Even more, being that good friend is an amazing thing you can do to help others and to feel better about yourself. Becoming the best version of yourself includes positively impacting others and one way to do that is by being the best friend you can be.

How to be an amazing friend

There are many desirable qualities we all look for in a friend. This means that these are the same desirable qualities a friend will look for in you. Here are 5 extremely desirable qualities to have to help you be a great friend:

1. Loyal
2. Genuine
3. Reliable
4. Helpful
5. Brings out the best in you

1) Loyal

Arguably the greatest trait to look for in a friend is loyalty; somebody you know will always have your back regardless of how dire the situation is. This is not a friend who should be taken lightly and tossed aside. When the going gets tough, you want somebody who will stick by your side and help you get through the hard times.

This means that your friends will want the same from you. Being a loyal friend is an extremely powerful way to make friends for life. Supporting someone through their toughest of times will show that you are a true friend. Fake friends will leave when things get difficult and only stick around when everything is going smoothly.

This doesn’t mean to be dumb, however. Make sure that you pick good friends. You don’t want to be blindly loyal and support your “friend” if they are making dangerous decisions that are illegal, harmful, or hurtful to themselves, yourself, and others around them. There is a difference between being loyal to a good friend and being dumb for a bad friend.

2) Genuine

Being genuine is an awesome trait to have, as people will be more likely to respect you if you keep it real with them. Some ways to be a genuine person include:

1. Not lying
2. Following through on promises
3. Admitting your mistakes
4. Being honest with your emotions – aka not being passive aggressive

Remember though, being genuine does not translate to being a capital A-hole! Don’t take this as an open invitation to have no filter and say rude or hurtful things. Everybody wants somebody who will be honest with them, and a great friend will be able to do exactly that, but you need to know how and when to do so. There is a time and a place for everything. Sometimes keeping your mouth shut is better than “being real”.

3) Reliable

A reliable friend will be there for you when they say they will. Friends who flake on you and consistently cancel plans are not reliable, and probably not people that you want in your life.

If a friend cancels on you here and there, it might be for legitimate reasons. Don’t immediately assume the worst and cut them off. However, if this becomes a reoccurring theme of your friendship, it might be better to move on and find friends that have more respect for you and value your time.

As a good friend, you should be reliable and follow through on your promises to others. Only make plans if you intend to keep your word. Often, we will make plans far in advance not realizing until the time comes that it was something we didn’t want to do at all. When deciding whether to accept plans that somebody proposes, think to yourself, “Would I do this tomorrow?” If the answer is no, you likely will not feel like doing it 2-3 weeks from now either. You might think you are hurting your friends’ feelings by not accepting their plans, but it is better to be honest with them right away, rather than getting their hopes up and then canceling on them the day of. There are also nice ways to tell them you aren’t interested such as:

“I’m not sure if that’s for me, but you should still totally do it.”

“I know that week is a little crazy for me, so I don’t want to commit to anything right now.”

“How about instead we…[counteroffer].”

4) Helpful

A helpful friend will always be a valuable friend! If a friend goes out of their way to help you with something, they are certainly somebody you will want to keep around in your life.

Here is a great example – my best friend Brandon drove from New York to Texas to visit me. An awesome gesture in itself… but he also drove my dog Smokey down with him!! I had to leave Smokey behind in New York when I moved and was ecstatic that he could bring him to me. These are certainly the type of helpful friends you want to keep around!

Go out of your way to be helpful to people and you will be remembered and appreciated for it. Even being helpful to strangers can be the beginning stages of a blossoming friendship. Just make sure not to be a pushover and taken advantage of. A friendship is a type of relationship, and both members of the relationship should be helping each other!

5) Brings out the best in you

This is a simple one! Your friends should bring out the best in you. This means that they should help make you a better person, support you, and aid you in stepping out of your comfort zone. If you ever feel embarrassed to tell a friend something, you might want to reevaluate how good of a friend they truly are.

Surround yourself with people and friends who will lift you up, not bring you down.

You should aim to do the same. Be supportive of all your friends and their goals and ambitions. Try to inspire them to do better and to be better people by being a positive force in their lives.

Best,

Eric