<i></i> <i></i> <i></i> 0<p>Life would not be complete without friends. We all have friends unless you’re a loner. HAH!</p> <p>On a serious note, it is very difficult to imagine life without the people we call our friends. They hang out with us, support us when the going gets tough, help us, and basically love us for who we are. That is if you’re making the right friends. Friends are the most important people in our life after our family. And sometimes, just sometimes, they become a part of our family.</p> <p>However, we have a lot of different types of friends. Our friend circles usually have different characters in them. One is always the funny one, one is the serious, quiet, and mature one, one is always looking for fun, and one is the direct and straightforward one. We’re going to talk about the last one mentioned here today.</p> <p>Sometimes, in life, there comes a time when you have to filter out the people in your life. Circumstances around you force you to decide who is worthy of staying in your life, and who deserves to be kept out. Naturally, we’d want to have a funnier person around. However, as it turns out, the meanest friends are the ones who are worth keeping in your life.</p> <p>The direct and straightforward friend leaves nothing to the imagination. He is always going to be very straight to the point and will never hesitate to say it like it is. He may come off as mean for that reason, too. Be that as it may, he is the one who is predicted to stay around the most. He will never desert you for whatever reason it might be. Want to know why?</p> <p>Prepare yourself, then!</p> <h2>12. Where does this research come from?</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1110.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>A study conducted by researchers at the University of Plymouth concluded that the friends that are mean to you are the ones who are most concerned about you. Even though they seem crude, they only want what is best for you.</p> <p>For example, if you ask your mean friend for a suggestion, he is going to tell you straightaway how he feels about it, regardless of your perspective. This does not mean that he is being selfish. It just means that he knows you and is trying to keep you out of danger. Some friends do not do this as they are too scared to hurt or offend you. Others, however, believe that a little pain is better than an enormous amount of pain.</p> <p>Therefore, they remain blunt and direct with you.</p> <h2>11. How was the research conducted?</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1112.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>According to the New York Post, the researchers who took part in this case study conducted a survey. It involved around 140 different people from different mindsets.</p> <p>These people were presented with hypothetical situations are we asked a few questions about them. It turned out that the meaner and blunt people were with their friends, the more they wanted their pal to be happy and successful.</p> <p>For instance, when asked about exams, the mean friend said that he would rather induce the fear of failure in his friend to make him study and pass rather than accompanying him and failing. These studies proved that the meaner a friend is, the more he wants you to benefit. However, being too mean is out of the question.</p> <h2>10. But … aren’t enemies mean?</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1114.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>A common question that would come to mind is that if they are your friend, why are they mean? Aren’t people who are not your friends, supposed to be mean? Shouldn’t enemies be mean?</p> <p>As much as a good question that is, it has a pretty sensible answer. There are two types of mean people; some that are your friends, and some that are not. And as we all know, friends only want what is better for you whilst others want the opposite. Sometimes, they don’t even care. In order to know the difference between these two, one must be vigilant and do a little bit of character analysis.</p> <h2>9. Enemies!</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1116.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>Even if the word ‘enemies’ is pretty strong for people who want to hurt you, let’s go with it. What else would you call such people, anyway?</p> <p>Enemies are the ones who want you to fail. They want to make you feel bad and demean you as much as possible. When they are mean to you, a little bit of deep thinking would allow you to see their intentions. They’re not going to be up to any good. Sometimes, however, enemies aren’t mean at all. They use their charm to lure you into potential failure.</p> <p>Trying to know someone’s intentions by gathering evidence about their intentions can go a long way to help you differentiate between a friend and someone who wants to hurt you.</p> <h2>8. Mean friends.</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1118.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>People who are mean to you but actually want your benefit are rare to find. However, it is important to know the difference between a mean friend and an overall mean person.</p> <p>A mean friend would always advise you to do something that is sensible. They don’t want you going around doing silly stuff. They’ll call it as it is and will not hold back. Their meanness has a purpose and drive behind it. They want to make sure that you are not making any mistakes in life and are not walking on paths that you will regret in the future.</p> <p>If you try to think about the reason behind their attitude, you will surely find a sensible reason. For example, a mean friend would ask you to stop talking to a person not because they have some selfish drive, but because they know that the person in question could be harmful and hurtful to you and your progress in life.</p> <h2>7. The foundations of a mean friend.</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1119.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>The study conducted by researchers from the University of Plymouth had many purposes to it. One of the reasons was to try and get down to the roots of ‘tough love’ and how it works. There is no better example than the one being discussed here.</p> <p>A mean friend is a simple and straightforward fellow, as we have mentioned above. However, what makes the very foundations of a mean friend? Why does he act the way he is?</p> <p>Well, mean friends present a good example of the feeling ‘tough love.’ ‘Tough love’ is basically an emotion wherein you try and benefit your loved one by restraining them from certain things. In this case, friends keep away the dramatic stuff and shoot straight. Tough love is when the lover tries and gets their feelings across by asking their loved one to take responsibility for certain things.</p> <p>It is a very effective way of loving, as it ensures that your loved one will not let you down by trying to get down to your expectations. It can prove costly sometimes, too.</p> <p>Your mean friends can be worth keeping because they want your success and are better off than the ones who try to hurt you while showing you an illusion of friendship and love.</p> <h2>6. But beware!</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1120.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>Sometimes when someone is being mean to you, having in mind whether they are a friend or not can really help.</p> <p>Sometimes, people will talk behind your back. The same people who appear to be your friends can be found doing this out of pure jealousy. As a side effect, they try demeaning and belittling you as much as they can. People can also lash out at you because of passive aggression and frustration that they have kept inside due to their jealousy and other negative emotions that they might harbor.</p> <p>So, in order to keep yourself safe from negativity, you should be vigilant about your choice of friends and the people you allow in your life.</p> <h2>5. Why would anyone do that?</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1122.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>There can be a plethora of reasons as to why someone can be jealous of you and demean you.</p> <p>Part of it can possibly be because they are jealous of your progress. They see in you a better version of themselves and are projecting their insecurities onto you. Most of the time, it can also be about inadequacy. What people don’t find in themselves, they try to ruin for others. People then point out the shortcomings of others rather than focusing on developing their own personality.</p> <p>This reason is enough for someone to be mean to you.</p> <h2>4. The fear of exclusion.</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1124.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>The fear of exclusion is something that makes a person start acting up.</p> <p>When this happens, the person feels left out of a group or a crowd and then projects their bitterness onto someone else. In this event, they are sure to be mean to you or someone else. They will do their best to let the other person down and will not for a moment look at what they are doing.</p> <p>Such a person can be toxic and hazardous to all good things in life.</p> <h2>3. Be vigilant!</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1126.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>In order to keep yourself on the safe side, try and figure the reason behind why someone is trying to be mean to you.</p> <p>You can achieve this by performing a little character analysis in your head. Deep thinking always helps when it comes to matters like these. Try and read about human psychology and why we do the things we do and what goes on in our minds. Once you have a little grip on the facts behind human nature in relationships, you will have a somewhat clear idea in your mind as to why people act the way they do.</p> <p>If someone is being mean to you and has a good reason behind it, try and stick with them. This shows that they want nothing but the best for you and are by your side with the purest of intentions. If, however, someone is mean to you and you cannot figure out the reason, then it may be time to cut off ties with them.</p> <p>With the many struggles and challenges of life, one thing you certainly don’t need, is bad people wasting your time and ruining your life.</p> <p>Therefore, being vigilant in this case is going to pay off richly.</p> <h2>2. Learn!</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1128.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>At the end of the day, it is sure that certain people have certain purposes for entering your life. They enter at the right and leave at the right time, too.</p> <p>They are placed in your to teach you lessons and make you a better person. These experiences build up your personality, help you mature, and help prepare you for the future. Learning from your experiences is one of the things that can benefit you most. For that reason, try and learn from the people that enter your life. Think about their behavior towards you, your behavior towards them, and try extracting whatever good you can find.</p> <p>Think about the things you would have done differently and vow to be a better person in the future. In this way, you can benefit so much, you have no idea. Try it!</p> <h2>1. Love yourself to love others.</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1130.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>Loving yourself can help you in the act of loving others.</p> <p>If you love and accept yourself for the person you are, you will surely end up loving others and benefitting them in some way or the other. If you can love yourself, only then can you love others. See people for who they truly are and do not judge them, may it be whatever.</p> <p>Try to be a better friend and try understanding everyone around you. There is a reason for whatever they are doing. Try and make sense of it if it relates to you, otherwise just let it go. If you’re going to be mean to someone, might as well end up helping them. Being truthful and honest with your friends is a gift that keeps on giving.</p> <p>Be loyal and helpful and never let your friends feel like you’re hurting them. Spread love and kindness so that it eventually finds its way back to you!</p> <i></i>