Types of Friends!

As in life, on Facebook too, the following kinds of friends exist; as a reflection of what we are as an individual and what is the set of values we espouse (Please note that the term friend is being used in its broadest sense, stemming from its usage on Social Media) -

1. There are friends who really like/love us, warts and all. They rejoice when we succeed and empathise when we fail. They have our best interest in their hearts and minds, regardless. Cherish them.

2. Then there are friends who are an extension of a nodding acquaintance. They will exchange some pleasantries with us and go about their own business. We are there on their spectrum, just about, but do not really matter in their scheme of things. Let them be. They are good for discussing weather and the like.

3. There are friends who may have known you for a long while but are pretty tangled in their own world and its goings-on that they have little time for much else, including you. They are just preoccupied but mean no harm to you. It is OK to have them around. There will be a time when your paths shall cross again and you will get to share a smile and some goodwill.

4. There are friends you do not know at all but they are either a friend of friends or share common interest areas with you. Suss them out. They have the potential of either getting into a more meaningful equation or simply drifting away; either of which is fine by all means.

5. Then there are the pretenders. They have either known you personally or have got well acquainted virtually. They will fake it to appear as your friend but will never feel with you or for you. They will never like anything you do well, they will enjoy it if they see you slip. The problem with them, essentially, is that they only like themselves and begrudge most others. The sooner you filter them out, the cleaner channels you pry open for free flow of positive energy.

6. There are friends who will not be bothered with any of the good things happening to you and will seldom get excited about all the great stuff you are doing. But will always be in touch to bring you down over a post, or write a snide remark or fire up a controversy. Be mindful of them; for they are waiting to pull that rug from under you.

7. Finally, there are those who wish no good for you.They are actually happy to see you encounter failure. They grudge you your success and will make conspiracy theories around why you succeed and perhaps they don't. They will assume a friendly stance but harbour no positive feeling for you. Your sense of happiness and well-being annoys them. They gloat to see you fall on hard times. Drop them, the moment you unveil them. They have no place in your world!

So what does your friend matrix look like? And what kind of a friend are you?

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