Let’s Talk: Are You Enabling Your Friend’s Bad Behavior?

Are your friends ever wrong? Short answer – yes. But sometimes we have a tendency to not want to correct them for the simple fact that we’re “supposed to have their backs.” But are we actually doing our friends justice by letting them continue bad behavior? Not so much.

Friends are like teammates, coaches or peer mentors. No matter what we’d like to think, our friends and what they feel matters a great deal to us. Friends are the people we run to when all seems lost and we can’t talk to our parents. Like most support systems we need them to be on our side even if we’re in the wrong because it makes us feel better about ourselves.

But what does this actually help? Nothing. Promoting or supporting bad behavior and mindsets doesn’t prepare your friend for the real world nor does it make them a more productive person. To be honest, we’re not children anymore. The world isn’t going to always go your way and everyone isn’t going to let you say whatever you want to him or her. The best thing to do as a friend is to nip the bad attitude in the bud while you can before your friend gets in a situation they can’t come out of.

Let’s say your friend STARTED an argument between them and another person they’ve never liked. As a friend, you’ll want to be by their side in the moment and stick up for them. However, what will make you an even better friend is if you tell them once the argument is over about the mistake they made. Of course, be their immediate support in their time of need, but be sure to have a talk later. It’s only fair, and if you’re a true friend you’ll only want their best interest, and for them to learn how to handle negative situations in a mature way.

Being a good friend is making sure your friends have all the tools they need to live a prosperous life not struggle through it.