Encountering a fake friend or two is a common experience in life. Identifying these individuals can be challenging, and navigating the relationship can be even more difficult. While some instances may reveal a fake friend’s true colors, managing the situation gracefully can pose a dilemma.
When faced with fake friends, the desire to distance oneself may arise, yet avoiding unnecessary drama is also a priority. In this article, we aim to offer guidance on effectively handling fake friendships.
We’ve compiled strategies to help you manage fake friends without creating undue discomfort. These approaches can assist you in addressing the situation tactfully, ensuring a smoother resolution. Let’s explore how to navigate the challenges of dealing with fake friends.
Contents
- 1 1. Find out if they are your fake friends
- 2 2. Decide what you wanna do
- 3 3. Limit your connection with your fake friend
- 4 4. Cut off the benefits
- 5 5. Let the friendship fade away on its own
- 6 6. Set Boundaries
- 7 7. Don’t tell them your secrets
- 8 8. Lower your expectation from them
- 9 9. Stay out of their drama
- 10 10. Talk to them
- 11 11. Talk to someone you trust the most
- 12 12. Deal with the emotional loss
- 13 Conclusion:
Also check – How do you know if your friends are fake / Get to know questions
1. Find out if they are your fake friends
The very first step you need to take is to find out whether or not they are your fake friends. We know it can be difficult to find out if they are your fake friends or not. But by looking at some signs you can totally get the idea about your fake friends and differentiate them from your real friends.
To ease the evaluation of your fake friend we have written down some signs that may suggest that they are your fake friends!
- They will never support you anything you like or anything you have interest in.
- They will lie to you and talk behind your back
- They will abandon you when you need their support the most
- They will never listen to your stories and will always talk about themselves
- They won’t care about you in any way
- They will make you uncomfortable and insecure
- They will make fun of your flaws in front of others
So these are the signs of fake friends that you might observe.
But make sure you are fully sure about these signs and doing mistake them. The thing is, some friends are real but they might not able to express their feelings for you. But still, care for you, so these are the signs of true friends:-
- They will understand you fully
- They will always listen to you
- They will be there when you need them the most
- They will never leave you alone knowing that you need help
- They will support you in your every decision (which is good for you!)
And that’s how you differentiate the true friend from a fake friend.
2. Decide what you wanna do
Once you have figured out that this person is your fake friend, this might be the time to decide what you actually wanna do. You will have to sit back and evaluate the behavior of your fake friend and decide whether you want to completely cute them off or just maintain a casual friendship.
3. Limit your connection with your fake friend
Now it’s time that you actually start doing something about your fake friend. And the best way to deal with your fake friend is to distance yourself from them as soon as possible and as much as possible. This will give you your space and time to be in a positive surrounding.
You can just start by ignoring them or what we call giving them the silent treatment so they themselves get away from you. You can politely decline their invitation by stating it clear that you say can’t hang out with them or talk to them.
4. Cut off the benefits
This might sound like handling a business rivalry but the thing is, the fake friends are around us because they want some kind of benefit from us. We might even not know what this benefit is, for example, they can be your friend so that they don’t feel alone or they might hang out with you because you are popular, rich, intelligent, or somehow can be beneficial to them in the future. Even if with this reason their intentions might hurt your feelings at one point or another. So it’s better that you cut off the benefits for which they have become your fake friend. You might wanna say no to them when they ask favor from you the next time.
Once they find out you are no longer beneficial to them, they will automatically avoid you and be away from you.
5. Let the friendship fade away on its own
Sometimes when you are trying too hard to stay in touch and your fake friends never really talk to you first or initiate the conversation unless they want something from you. And that’s where you need to stop trying. You can just leave the things as they are and let the friendship fade away by not making any efforts from your side. It will be convenient as well as easy as it contains less drama.
Also check – How To Make Him Miss You Badly / How To Start Conversation On Tinder
6. Set Boundaries
In order to deal with your fake friend, you need to set the boundaries. This will help you to maintain a nice distance from the fake friend. You might wanna set the boundaries when it comes to asking the favor of giving a favor. You might set the boundaries when and where you can meet this person or what kind of talk you wanna have with the person.
7. Don’t tell them your secrets
One of the trait if a fake friend is that they tend to share your secrets, it did matter how intimate they are or how much trust you have out on them to tell a secret, they will always going to disappoint you and betray you by sharing your secrets with other people.
You should anyways be considerate about with whom you share your secrets and who you trust the most, and if you know that a person is your fake friend, then you might avoid saying anything to them.
8. Lower your expectation from them
One of the reasons why we get hurt by our fake friends is that we expect them to be our friend, as we are theirs and also expect them to do all the efforts that you are puting in your friendship. So it might be time to wake up and lower down your expectations from them, this would help you to prevent from the disappointment.
9. Stay out of their drama
You don’t need to drag yourself in someone else’s drama and that’s our next tip for you to deal with your fake friend. They might like to cause a scene on a regular basis or they like to date like dozens of partners. They might not do it in their obvious way, but you always somehow end up being caught up in their drama and find yourself in a difficult place. And that’s what you need to avoid!
10. Talk to them
Sometimes it’s easier if you just talk it out and tell them straight that you want to end the friendship and that you care to be drag into. This might not be easy but it’s something that will have to do in order to protect yourself from the fake friend. You should clear out everything you have on your mind and tell them that it’s not working between you two. This might seem a difficult job now but you will feel a lot better just talk to them.
11. Talk to someone you trust the most
If you can’t figure out anything about how to deal with your fake friends then you might want to talk to someone you fully trust. They will surely try to help you and since they do know both of you, this might help you even more. And they will stop you from doing something irrational as well.
12. Deal with the emotional loss
Even they were your fake friend, they were still your friend. And if you are someone who is a true friend for others then you must feel a little bad about all this, which is completely fine. You don’t have to hide all this and act as if you are fine, allow yourself to feel the loss.
Conclusion:
And there you have it—the simplest ways to address fake friendships. Dealing with such situations can indeed be challenging, especially when it involves individuals who were once considered friends. However, prioritizing your well-being and creating boundaries is essential to safeguarding yourself from toxic environments.
Recognizing the need to distance oneself from those who do not have your best interests at heart is a crucial aspect of personal growth and self-care. While it may be difficult, it is ultimately a necessary step in prioritizing your own happiness and mental health.
We trust that you now have a clear understanding of how to handle fake friends. Take the necessary steps to protect yourself from toxic relationships, and remember that your well-being always comes first. Thank you for allowing us to assist you, and we’re pleased to have been of help!