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conuly
Some of you are my friends. Others, I just like to read.
Even if I consider you my friend, there's a very good chance I'll never tell you that, for a number of depressing reasons.
1. I have long since learned that people who say "I'm your friend" rarely are. They're saying it because they want to set you up for their own profit or amusement. Or they're saying it because they feel bad about not stopping other people from harming you. At best, they're saying it because they've noticed you don't trust them, don't like them, and don't want to be around them, probably for a good reason - and this has disturbed them greatly. They're not saying it because they're actually your friends. Your real friends don't need to tell you this, generally.
The phrase "I'm your friend" or "we're friends" always sets off my alarms, because it's about the most untrustworthy thing people have ever said to me. I really just wish I'd figured out that lie sooner. (Note, this doesn't apply to the person whose post prompted this, because that person (whom I do consider a friend) is very unlikely to fall into any of those three categories.)
2. Even if I didn't have that huge psychological block described above, what if I say I'm your friend, or just refer to myself as your friend (as in "my friend 'name' is 'blank'") and then you get upset because it's non-reciprocal? I keep thinking like I don't have very many friends, and people are only pretending to like me, it's a big setup for some huge joke. Oh, I know it's not true (and if you actually are in that category, you should feel horrible and go away NOW), but I can't shake the feeling.
3. It's even harder to shake the feeling that other people also aren't my friends, they're just tolerating me, but without the malicious intent of the people in group 2. What if I talk about you as though you're my friend, and then you feel bad because you don't really care about me in any personal sense?
*sighs*
And you know what's really bad is that writing this entry has pretty much destroyed my mood. I'm going to have to clean my glasses again now. Please don't reply to this saying things like "that's not true" or "I'm your friend", because then we're back at number 1 again, and nobody really wants that.
I'm locking this.
Even if I consider you my friend, there's a very good chance I'll never tell you that, for a number of depressing reasons.
1. I have long since learned that people who say "I'm your friend" rarely are. They're saying it because they want to set you up for their own profit or amusement. Or they're saying it because they feel bad about not stopping other people from harming you. At best, they're saying it because they've noticed you don't trust them, don't like them, and don't want to be around them, probably for a good reason - and this has disturbed them greatly. They're not saying it because they're actually your friends. Your real friends don't need to tell you this, generally.
The phrase "I'm your friend" or "we're friends" always sets off my alarms, because it's about the most untrustworthy thing people have ever said to me. I really just wish I'd figured out that lie sooner. (Note, this doesn't apply to the person whose post prompted this, because that person (whom I do consider a friend) is very unlikely to fall into any of those three categories.)
2. Even if I didn't have that huge psychological block described above, what if I say I'm your friend, or just refer to myself as your friend (as in "my friend 'name' is 'blank'") and then you get upset because it's non-reciprocal? I keep thinking like I don't have very many friends, and people are only pretending to like me, it's a big setup for some huge joke. Oh, I know it's not true (and if you actually are in that category, you should feel horrible and go away NOW), but I can't shake the feeling.
3. It's even harder to shake the feeling that other people also aren't my friends, they're just tolerating me, but without the malicious intent of the people in group 2. What if I talk about you as though you're my friend, and then you feel bad because you don't really care about me in any personal sense?
*sighs*
And you know what's really bad is that writing this entry has pretty much destroyed my mood. I'm going to have to clean my glasses again now. Please don't reply to this saying things like "that's not true" or "I'm your friend", because then we're back at number 1 again, and nobody really wants that.
I'm locking this.
