Number One
Disinterest in depth does your friend know you on a deeper level fake friends keep their relationships just right there on the surface they know your name they may know a few fun facts about you but they don’t know you as a person and they don’t make an effort to find out you see fake friends aren’t interested in deeper connections they don’t value you or your friendship like a real friend does instead they treat you like a name on a list a list of shallow relationships that make them feel well liked and popular pay attention to the effort your friend puts into your relationship if they don’t bother getting to know you then don’t waste your time a real friend cares about you and they obviously don’t.
Number Two
Unhealthy jealousy is your friend jealous of you jealousy can drive a wedge between you and your closest friends because jealousy is destructive alright let’s say you’re up for a promotion at work you ask your friend one of your co-workers to give you a good recommendation but your friend is jealous of your success they don’t like that you’re accomplishing more than they are so what do they do they tell your boss about all the things that you’ve done wrong your boss gives the promotion to someone else and your friend secretly enjoys watching you fail obviously this friendship is fake and toxic your friend may act like they like you they may claim that they support your success but they’re undermining your achievements behind your back they’re standing in the way of your personal and professional growth they’re jealous of you even if they’ll never admit it real friends don’t undermine deceive or sabotage each other they root for each other because a stable friendship is built on a foundation of mutual respect if your friend isn’t willing to support you then they don’t respect you the way your friends should now in some cases jealous friends can overcome their jealousy jealousy is sometimes a product of personal insecurity if they overcome that insecurity your friendship might survive and improve but you have to confront them you have to talk about their behavior and find ways to remedy your relationship otherwise your friendship doesn’t stand a chance so if your friend makes an effort to change you too might have something real but if your friend excuses or hides their jealousy then they aren’t interested in creating a lasting bond they’re only interested in one thing being better than you.
Number Three
Insecure attachments Insecure friends can be incredibly frustrating they want to spend time with you but they get way too attached at first they’re just a little insecure but over time an insecure friend becomes controlling and manipulative insecure friends are constantly suspicious of you and your activity they don’t take your word on anything they get angry whenever you spend time with other people and they use emotional weapons like guilt to control your behavior real friends trust each other and they give each other space they respect you as an individual and they value your independence so anyone that tries to control you isn’t your real friend.
Number Four
Joking insults friends rag on each other they tease each other they playfully joke about their flaws real friends understand and they share a mutual sense of humor they know what’s off limits and they know what’s up for grabs but what happens when your friend’s jokes aren’t funny anymore fake friends will cross the line they’ll make fun of things that you don’t like to talk about they’ll push your buttons they’ll laugh at your mistakes because they’re not interested in laughing with you fake friends are too busy laughing at you most of the time fake friends will make fun of you to feel better about themselves when their jokes go too far they don’t apologize they act like it’s your fault they tell you that you’re being too sensitive they say can’t you take a joke but it doesn’t feel like a joke to you and that’s the most important thing real friendships feel like friendships you don’t feel like you’re being criticized or put down you don’t have to defend yourself from your real friends they care about how you feel and if they ever cross the line they will be the first to apologize so find people who care about your feelings anyone who doesn’t is not worth keeping.
Number Five
Superficial dishonesty does your friend lie about who they are fake friends can’t be themselves around you most of the time it’s because they don’t like themselves they feel ashamed of themselves so they lie to improve their image they boast about their accomplishments they steal the spotlight and they make up stories that paint them in a positive light because the fake friend is always the victim the hero and the good guy real friends are honest about their lives and their accomplishments they don’t twist their stories and they don’t pretend to be some larger than life figure because honesty creates trust and trust fosters real friendship.
Number Six
The misleading friend does your friend say one thing and then do another we talked about how frustrating an insecure friend can be but what if you’re the one who’s feeling insecure if you’re feeling unsure then you may know someone who’s intentionally misleading these friends are vague and ambivalentthey send you mixed signals which leaves you questioning the strength of your friendship misleading friends will be your best friend one moment and then a stranger the next you don’t know how you’re supposed to feel instead of enjoying the friendship you’re always asking yourself are we really friends misleading friends create all kinds of unnecessary stress they make you second-guess yourself over the smallest things because they’re not paying attention to the consequences of their actions they don’t realize how their mixed signals are affecting you sometimes it’s just a misunderstanding similar to a jealous friend you try putting your cards on the table you tell them what’s bothering you because you might be misinterpreting your friendship if your friend is willing to clear the air then you may have a genuine connection but if not don’t let them lead you on any longer friends should make each other feel confident secure and stable if someone isn’t willing to take your friendship seriously neither should you.
number Seven
Walking on eggshells do you watch what you say around your friend if you’re in a fake friendship you can feel it in your chest every time that friend comes around the mood changes you start feeling stressed you may feel like you’re walking on dangerous ground you never know what’s going to set them off or which comment is going to hurt their feelings so you stop acting like yourself you moderate the things you say and your personality fades into the background this kind of relationship is emotionally draining and it’s a telltale sign of a fake friendship so if you have to walk on eggshells around someone you too don’t have a strong friendship maybe you used to but friendships change just like people if you’re careful around your friend your connection may have crumbled and your relationship may be fragile just ask yourself this do you enjoy spending time with your friend do you have fun when they’re around or does your friendship make you unhappy if you’re unhappy you may have a fake friendship your fake friend has given you a reason to stop acting like yourself and once that happens it’s time to move on.
Number Eight
Selfish preoccupation does your friend take an interest in your life or do they spend the whole conversation talking about themselves fake friends are preoccupied with their own drama they’re so obsessed with their own little world they don’t bother taking an interest in yours your real friends care about what’s happening in your life if something’s wrong they try to help if you’ve achieved something they want to celebrate right alongside you in other words real friends care about you as a person fake friends do not.
Number Nine
Friends for favors does your friend only contact you when they need something fake people will use their friends time and time again when they need to borrow money they’ll act like your closest confidant but what happens when you need a favor from them what happens when you just want to spend time together a fake friend thinks they can take advantage of you they’re not worried about your needs or feelings they think their time and money matters more than yours fake friends expect you to make all kinds of sacrifices for them but they’re never willing to return the favor so here’s a test to figure out which of your friends are fake just look back at the messages you two have sent each other do they ever text you just to talk or do they always need something from you if they always need something then your friend may be taking advantage of you .
Number Ten
Selling you out real friends stand up for each other when you’re stuck in a bind a real friend has your back they’re loyal when it counts because your friendship is important to them fake friends are only worried about themselves they won’t defend you they won’t stand by you in a difficult situation your fake friends will leave you stranded and alone they may even turn against you these people are more interested in preserving their image than your friendships so leave those fake friends behind find people who choose to stand beside you because a real friend always has your back.
