3 Notable Traits of a Good Friend

As new friends come into our lives, it’s important to keep in mind the traits which help foster a strong connection. These traits come together to provide close connections with the base they need to grow from for years to come.

‍

Here are three different types of traits to look for and practice in your daily lives to help cultivate a healthy, lasting friendship.

‍

Integrity Goes By Many Names

Integrity is based off of having strong moral principles and as such includes a variety of facets including trustworthiness, honesty, dependability, and loyalty. Integrity is amongst the most vital of traits in friendships and can help provide trust in each other.

‍

Loyalty builds upon integrity by providing value to a budding friendship since its inception. This value is a part of what provides trust. For example, being able to trust your friend with your secrets, being able to communicate with them without worry, or not be criticized of your shortcomings are all expectations that come from friendship.

‍

Being honest goes hand in hand and often includes situations where your friend will want to hear the other side of a story to fully comprehend the concern. Together these values come together and form a solid basis from where the relationship between friends can build upon.

‍

Caring for You and Themselves

Caring involves empathy, respect, good listening skills, and support for others. A caring friend is one who knows when to interject and when to listen. By having good listening skills, communication is improved and allows for intimate feelings and experiences to be expressed properly.

‍

Support for others in their bad and good times is likewise a quality that is essential. As is empathy, which allows those who are close to you to understand what is going on and recognize what you are feeling.

‍

However, caring is a two-way street. Take the time to check in with your friend and be supportive of them in their time of need. Provide each other with time to talk and express your feelings while listening to their thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

‍

Congeniality

A friend who has traits of congeniality is one who has self-confidence, shares your sense of humor, and is able to see the positive side of life. Confidence can be contagious, and having someone who is able to radiate that value is often times an appealing characteristic in friendships.

‍

Being emotionally stable helps put you on the path for well-being and happiness in life, and a friend who shares those qualities is one who will provide value to your life. However, friends with congeniality are not always optimists, they’re realists who have the potential to see life from other perspectives.

‍

Friendship Traits Will Always Be Different

Recognizing these qualities in other people is important, but determining how important these traits are to you is also key.

‍

Take a moment to look at yourself. Do you have the qualities above? Are there areas which you feel could be improved upon? Taking the time to speak to a therapist in Austin through individual therapy could provide a valuable opportunity to express any concerns you might be undergoing and how you can better address them.