How do I gracefully end a friendship that's become toxic?
I have a friend who is constantly negative, competitive, and brings me down. The friendship has run its course but I don't know how to end it. Do you formally 'break up' with a friend, or just slowly drift apart? Is it cowardly to fade away instead of having a conversation?
Sign in to message the asker.
4 Answers
I think kindness goes a long way here. Whatever the 'right' answer is, you can usually find it by treating people the way you'd want to be treated. That old rule still works better than any complicated theory.
I think the real issue here is that society is changing faster than most people can keep up with. What was normal 20 years ago might be considered outdated now, and what we think is normal today will probably seem old-fashioned in 20 years.
Honestly I think people overthink stuff like this. Just do what feels right to you and don't worry so much about what other people think. At the end of the day you have to live your own life, not theirs.
Talk to people who actually disagree with you instead of just reading things that confirm what you already believe. That's the only way I ever change my mind about anything. It's uncomfortable but worth it.
Sign in to post an answer.