Choosing Friends Wisely

What are some signs of a toxic friendship?

• Open communication, trust, and mutual respect.

• Excessive compliments, constant praise, and unwavering support.

• Shared interests, similar values, and strong emotional connection.

• Constant criticism, lack of support, manipulation, jealousy, and disrespect.

Why is it important to set boundaries with friends?

• To maintain healthy relationships and respect each other's needs and limits.

• To prevent overdependence and maintain individuality.

• To establish trust and mutual understanding.

• To avoid conflicts and misunderstandings.

What are some red flags to watch out for in friendships?

• excessive neediness, lack of support, constant competition

• disinterest in your life, lack of empathy, frequent cancelations

• gossiping or spreading rumors, controlling behavior, lack of respect for boundaries

• constant criticism, lack of trust or reliability, one-sidedness, jealousy or possessiveness, and disrespect or boundary violations

How can you maintain a healthy friendship?

• Communicate openly and honestly, respect boundaries, be supportive and understanding, spend quality time together, and resolve conflicts in a constructive manner.

• Avoid communication, disregard boundaries, be unsupportive and judgmental, spend less time together, and escalate conflicts.

• Miscommunicate, ignore boundaries, be unsupportive and dismissive, spend less time together, and escalate conflicts.

• Keep secrets, invade boundaries, be unsympathetic and critical, spend less quality time together, and avoid resolving conflicts.

What are some common conflicts that can arise in friendships?

• neglect

• competition

• insecurity

• disagreements, jealousy, lack of communication, betrayal, different values or interests

• misunderstandings

How can you identify if a friend is toxic?

• Observe their behavior and how they make you feel.

• Pay attention to how they treat others.

• Notice if they constantly criticize or belittle you.

• Consider if they are always taking but never giving in the friendship.

What are some strategies for setting boundaries with friends?

• Avoiding confrontation and ignoring any boundary violations

• Clearly communicating your needs and expectations, being assertive and firm in expressing your boundaries, learning to say no when necessary, and being consistent in enforcing your boundaries.

• Being passive and not expressing your needs and expectations

• Being inconsistent in enforcing your boundaries

What are some positive qualities to look for in a friend?

• trustworthiness, loyalty, kindness, good communication, and a sense of humor

• untrustworthiness, disloyalty, meanness, poor communication, and a lack of humor.

• unreliability, betrayal, rudeness, ineffective communication, and a lack of humor.

• dishonesty, disloyalty, unkindness, poor communication, and a lack of humor.

How can you navigate conflicts with friends in a healthy way?

• Avoid conflict and ignore the issue

• Communicate openly and honestly, listen actively, seek compromise, respect boundaries and emotions, approach conflicts with empathy and understanding.

• Blame the other person and refuse to take responsibility

• React with anger and aggression

Why is it important to surround yourself with supportive friends?

• Having supportive friends is not necessary for emotional well-being.

• Surrounding yourself with supportive friends can lead to dependency and reliance on others.

• Supportive friends can be a distraction and hinder personal growth.

• Supportive friends provide emotional support, encouragement, motivation, different perspectives, and boost self-confidence.