Characteristics of A Good Friend: 15 Essential Traits To Look For

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Everyone Needs A Good Friend

Does your best friend have all the characteristics of a good friend in him or her?

No one is perfect or complete in themselves.

Everyone has flaws and weaknesses.

Among all this, life also keeps throwing challenges at us now and then.

There are two ways we can deal with this situation.

Either improve and make ourselves constantly better and capable of dealing with life and its challenges.

Or have somebody with us who complements us and makes life easier for us.

Thus, you can either be your best friend or you can have a good friend in somebody else who is like a shadow to you.

Having a good friend is one of the best assets one can have in their life.

A good friend is someone who makes you complete, hence making your life easier.

So, what are the characteristics of a good friend that make you complete?

Characteristics Of A Good Friend

characteristics of a good friend

There are 15 main characteristics of a good friend.

You should either develop these traits of a good friend within yourself or you should find a friend who has these qualities in him.

Understanding

The first of the characteristics of a good friend is that he understands you well.

A good friend understands who you are, what your likes and dislikes are, and what you want from life.

He also understands you when you make a mistake but your intentions are not wrong.

He is there for you when you need him to understand you or your situation without judging you.

He understands you in every possible respect that makes you feel relieved, validated, and loved.

Stands By You

characteristics of a good friend

The second among the characteristics of a good friend is that he stands by you through thick and thin.

A good friend always stays by your side no matter what happens.

He is there with you when no one else is, especially during the difficult moments of your life.

He supports you in every possible way he can, through his words, resources, and everything else that he has or is capable of doing.

A Calming Influence

The third of the characteristics of a good friend is that he has a calming influence on you.

A good friend gives you the necessary peace when you are in doubt, or are feeling angry, or stressed.

He either says things that you need to hear or he does certain things that bring stability and calmness within you. 

He ensures that you remain calm so that you can make the best decisions for yourself.

A Trustworthy Confidant

The fourth of the characteristics of a good friend is that he is your close confidant whom you can trust with your life.

You can share your deepest secrets with him and can be sure that he won’t tell them to anyone.

He is also someone to whom you can talk about your insecurities, frustrations, and failures.

He neither judges you nor tells anybody about your secret feelings.

Fun

characteristics of a good friend

The fifth of the characteristics of a good friend is that he is someone you can have fun with.

You can watch movies, talk to him about anything, have a hearty laugh, go out trekking or on a road trip, and play your favorite sports, among many other things.

There is never a dull moment when you are with that friend.

He fills your life with excitement and joy.

Due to him you always and completely remain in the present.

And you also look forward to all the fun adventures you are going to embark upon with him.

Honest

The next of the characteristics of a good friend is that he is honest with you.

He never hides anything from you and tells you what he feels about you or the things you should do.

He gives his honest opinions and tells you the things you did wrong.

He respects you but also wants you to know the truth so that you can become a better version of yourself.

Loyal

The next of the characteristics of a good friend is loyalty.

A good friend never says bad things about you and always remains on your side.

He cannot be lured by your enemies or the people who are jealous of you.

A good friend never listens to the people who say bad things about you either.

He always tries to change people’s negative opinions about you.

And he informs you about who is in your favor and who is against you.

He truly wants your good and that you remain safe and sound.

Protective

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The next of the characteristics of a good friend is that he protects you.

A good friend ensures that you never get hurt emotionally or physically. 

He protects you from bad people and bad influences.

He makes sure that you do not catch any bad habits which may degrade your life.

He also defends you when people get against you and say bad things about you.

He considers you as a part of himself and always ensures that you remain untouched by problems and pain.

Caring

The next of the characteristics of a good friend is that he takes care of you.

A good friend is always there to take care of you.

He oversees your well-being and health.

He makes sure that you do not do anything that causes harm to you.

He stays with you and takes care of you when you are sick or hurt.

He ensures that you do everything good for your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Promotes Your Interest

The next of the characteristics of a good friend is that he promotes your interests.

He does only those things that are good for you.

He also tells you the things he thinks you should do to make your life better.

When he deals with other people, he keeps your interests in mind and does only the things that suit you.

He refrains from doing anything that may cause harm or pain to you.

He has a big contribution to everything you achieve in your life.

Motivating

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The next of the characteristics of a good friend is that he motivates you.

Even in the worst of situations, he convinces you to not lose hope and keep believing.

He gives you numerous motivating examples that you can use to keep yourself motivated and thus to keep moving forward.

He inspires you with his own mental strength, positivity, and achievements.

He makes you believe that you can achieve anything you want in life and launches you on the path of success.

Aids Self-Reflection & Self-Realisation

The next of the characteristics of a good friend is that he takes you closer to your true self by way of self-reflection.

He prevents you in your weak moments from doing the things that don’t define you.

He reminds you to be yourself when you are stressed.

He allows you to get closer to your true self by taking away all your pressure and burden.

He puts you on your way to achieving your higher and your best self by removing all the obstacles that stand in your way.

Helps You

The next among the characteristics of a good friend is that he helps you when you need it.

When you are in desperate need of help and nobody is ready to help you out, your friend gives you that helping hand.

He does everything he can do to help you even the things he wasn’t capable of doing.

He is the backbone of your aspirations and the ladder to your success.

You may give up but he would never give up on you.

He makes the impossible possible to ensure that you are out of the mess around you and that you achieve your set objectives.

Happy When You Succeed

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The next of the characteristics of a good friend is that he is the happiest person when you succeed.

When you taste success, he is more animated than anyone else around you, sometimes even more than your family.

He is there distributing sweets and presents to people when you succeed.

He expresses his happiness with everyone around by saying that his friend has done it!

He is probably much happier than you on your success.

Complements You

The last of the characteristics of a good friend is that he complements and thus completes you.

Whatever weaknesses or imperfections you have within yourself, your friend covers for them.

He never lets you feel incomplete or not good enough.

He complements you and makes you capable, complete, and perfect.

And this is why you feel complete and happy all the time and you can fulfill all your dreams and goals in life.

Become Your Best Friend

It’s difficult to find all the 15 characteristics of a friend in one person.

So, if you ever happen to find that friend, never let them go.

You can also appreciate the good qualities in a friend to make them your best friend.

When two people complete each other, they become best friends forever, or what we call bff.

But even if you don’t find such a friend, prepare yourself to be one for yourself.

When you are your best friend, you are in unconditional self love.

And this self love gives you a life that you could have only imagined.

So, find self love within yourself and become your best friend with all the traits of a good friend so that life becomes a living dream for you.

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