Most people have many people they would describe as friends, and these are people that they tend to trust above all others. However, it is important to realize that not everyone you hang out with is a true friend, and you could find that some are completely fake friends.
Often, people will become friends with someone – or appear to do so – for their own benefit rather than being a true friend. In this article, we will look at ways in which you can tell if you are putting your trust in fake friends.
Some of the Signs to Look Out For
Various signs can suggest that you have to misfortune to be hanging around fake friends. Some of these include:
They Don't Contact You Unless It Benefits Them
When you have a true friend, you will have someone that stays in touch with you and is always there for you when you need them. However, this is not something you will get with fake friends, as they will only want to see or speak to you when it benefits them.
If you have friends who rarely contact you or come over unless they need something from you, you are looking at fake friends. These are ones that are only out for themselves and you are just their means of getting something they want.
Your Secrets Are Not Safe with Them
Most people have the utmost trust in their friends and will confide in them about anything and everything. This is because, when you have true friends, you know that whatever you confide in them will go no further if this is what you have asked.
However, when you have fake friends, the information you divulge when confiding in them could soon be spread across social media and passed on to others. This is because fake friends will use your secrets against you and will have no qualms about spreading gossip about you because they then get attention.
They Have Little Time for You
When you have true friends, you have people who always have a lot of time for you. No matter what is going on in their own lives, true friends will always make time to support you, spend time with you, and be there for you when you need them.
On the other hand, fake friends are only ever willing to spare you some time if it suits them and usually if it benefits them. Even when they do spend time with you, they may be more concerned about themselves rather than enjoying your company or helping you.
You Get Little or No Support from Them
We all need support from others from time to time, and many of us are lucky to have good friends who will provide this support. However, others are surrounded by fake friends who may pretend to support you but have a whole other agenda.
When your friends pretend to support you when they clearly have other thoughts, they are certainly not true friends. Some will even be obvious about the fact that they don't support you even if they have no good reason for not being supportive.
They Put You Down in Public
Real friends would not put you down and belittle you, even when you are both on your own, never mind in public. However, this is not the case when you have fake friends – they will have no problem putting you down at every given opportunity.
In fact, one thing that your fake friend may love doing is to put you down and belittle you when there are other friends around. This is because it is a way for them to make themselves look better and in some cases, to make themselves look cool.
Eliminate Toxic Friendships
If you feel that you have fake friends that are more toxic than supportive, it is time to get them out of your life and move on. Nobody needs fake friends around them, as these are people who have no regard for you but are more interested in themselves.
