There’s no one who will treat you with quite as much love, care, and brutal honesty as a best friend. They’re you’re confidant, your lie detector, your hype-person, your voice of reason, your shoulder to lean on. They’re the B1 to your B2. And they’re destined to bring the best out in you.
We don’t usually consider how or why this person has reached peak friendship status. But, whether you believe it or not, it is this very ability that makes them your best friend.
So we’ve partnered with headspace as part of our Green Flag series, turning our current obsession with red flags upside down to remind you of all the good things in life, too. And this is why your BFF will make your life worth living.
They Love You Like Family
A best friend is like a sibling by choice, not by blood. It’s true that they’re like a ‘sister from another mister’ or ‘brother from another mother’. You love each other like family, so you treat each other like family. And everyone wants the best for their family.
But it’s more than that. They’re a person you have shared things with that you would never with your blood relatives. This means they’re a particular kind of pseudo-sibling, one that has your best interests at heart, that will critique you, and will help you be the best you can be.
Which Means They Won’t Tolerate Your Shit
It’s scary when your parents tell you off, or worse, when you disappoint them. That’s why a best friend is, literally, the best. Because they care for you and want the best for you, they won’t accept anything less than that for you. They also know you so well that they’ve basically become a walking, talking, human lie-and-BS-detector that will buzz like crazy when you’re living anything less than your best.
A best friend will not allow you to date trash. A best friend will tell you when you’re feeding yourself lies. A best friend will give you their feedback on your projects. They will let you know if it isn’t serving you. Sometimes it’s brutal, but it’s because they want the best for you. They won’t tolerate your bad behaviours, your tolerance of others’, or your acceptance of a bad situation. And, ultimately, it will bring out your best.
But They’re Also Your Biggest Supporter
They don’t tolerate the BS because they are hard-wired to #stan you. And nobody wants to see their idol trudging through mud when they should be crowd-surfing. A best friend is the best hype-person you will ever meet and they will let 👏🏻 you 👏🏻 know 👏🏻 what a boss you are.
Through the good and the bad, it’s their relentless support and encouragement that will keep you going. Whether you’re working toward your dream job; maybe you’re excited about a new romance; you might’ve scored an awesome assessment grade; or maybe you finally treated yourself with your hard-earned coin; whatever it is, a best friend will be front-and-centre in the grandstand cheering you on.
Even when Especially when times get tough, it is their endless support and encouragement that will keep you chugging along. I can’t tell you how many pep talks my best friend has given me when I’ve called her stressed and on the verge of calling it quits.
Your closest, best friend is in your life because of the value they bring to it. They are a special source of inspiration, encouragement, and love unlike any other. And it really does bring the best out of you.
Having great friends is honestly what life is about, and it’s something we really take for granted. If you feel like you struggle to show your friends just how much they mean to you, or you don’t really know how to support them, check out headspace for advice on all things to do with supporting friends.