What makes a good friend?

This post is a response to my blog post. I am answering question #91: What makes a good friend?

What makes a good friend? That's a great question. I think everyone has a different definition of what makes a good friend. I will share mine.

One of the most important things to understand about friendship is point's of view. We don't have to always agree with each other. We do need to be able to listen, process and be able to provide counter points of view in a respectable manner. Allowing time to process is important instead of reacting as the default.

One of the most important qualities of a good friend is being supportive. I'm very fortunate to have friends who are supportive and emotionally connected. We check in with each other, we talk about our emotions, we talk about our problems. As men, we are human and we should talk about what's happening to our lives. This is 2025.

A good friend will always make an effort to stay in touch especially when you live far away from each other. This is a two way streak. One person can't solely be the one actively reaching out. It's okay if you go a little while without talking, just don't let your friendship die out. Life gets busy but we can't forget who our friends are.

What makes a good friend?

This post was written at Ikea Restaurant in San Francisco.