Your Friendship Lessons

[melody5697 195]

I'm kind of surprised there isn't already a thread like this (or maybe there is one and I just couldn't find it). There will always be friendship lessons that simply can't be covered in MLP because they involve things that aren't child-appropriate and/or the lesson might be confusing to children. I learned a lesson that falls under both of those categories. So I started this thread so that bronies can share their friendship lessons.  Here is a friendship lesson I learned. It may seem obvious to most people, but surely there's someone else out there who could learn from this.

It's not healthy to bottle up your problems, and your friends are supposed to be there to support you, so you should always tell your close friends about your problems, right? Wrong. This isn't an issue for most people, but some people have tougher problems. I mean, if you did something really, really bad, or you're depressed, or someone hurt you very badly, it's okay to tell a close friend the gist. But if you've been experiencing things like that and you go into too many details and tell your friends everything and start talking to them about all your problems all the time, you'll likely overwhelm them, especially if they've never experienced these things themselves. They might even start avoiding you because it's just too much for them to handle. It's not that they don't care. They just can't take it, and there's nothing they can do to help. When you're having very distressing problems that you're really struggling to cope with, it's best to talk to a counselor. They're trained to help you. A pastor or rabbi could also help, and if you're a minor and your parents or guardians aren't abusive (and you should tell someone if they are), you should be honest with them about what you're going through as well.

[melody5697 195]

Seriously? Nobody likes this idea?

Edit: Oh, I didn't notice that brohoof until just now.

Edited August 23, 2017 by melody5697

[Widdershins 9,959]

 Well, give it time, @melody5697. Each story is deep enough to cause a well of many other topics too. Like for your own, it is a fine line to trot. Do confide on your compatriots but don't just dump it all out on them. It can be a bit much for most, and likely few are willing to be there to sob on when you need to. It... might be something I have to learn myself.

  As for what I can add? Well... I don't have many friends or experiences with it but...

   To take a note out of Fluttershy's book: It's okay to know your own boundaries, be able to point out what your uncomfortable with and unwilling to do. But still, do things because your afraid to do it. Some, and more often then you think, might reach out from out of the blue to be your friend from where you didn't even know it counted, but you can't depend on others to supply the same level of friendship you wish for. You can't expect everybeing you meet to be a lifelong compatriot, so, instead... be a friend to all as often as you can. Allow them to pass the ball back to you if they wish to see how far this can go, but still be yourself enough to let them know that you still have your grumpy moments too!

   Be you foremost, and let your pieces fall where they may, see who you match up with! You can't force friendship. But you can nuture it!

[TBD 17,254]

Friend lesson 101: Just be honest. 

Honesty is the key to keep up with good relation with a friend, if you got something to say, say it.  Biting down on your lips, ain't going to make thing better or easier for you and your friend. And you might regrated one day wondering why I haven't say a thing.

[Nara 84]

I think my biggest friendship lessons was when I was still a dumb teen. It was a really obvious one but you just have to grow up to certain things I guess haha. It was my first day at uni and we were all introducing ourselves to each other on the first day and one of the girls from my group put me off right away cause she embodied all that irked me about girls my age at that time. She wore heavy make up and dressed rather impractically and I assumed she'd be this rich stuck up doll. Fast forward a few months later and she became my friend! I found out we shared a passion for animated and foreign movies and she was really really sweet and kind. It was a short lived friendship since after I moved out we just talked less and less until it was over. A quiet death. It wasn't a super close friendship but I still appreciate it for what it was and what it taught me.

It was a typical "don't judge a book by it's cover" lesson but since then it stuck with me real good. I no longer assume someones personality based on their looks/subculture/etc. I just want to get to know people first