We can always have friends we meet and talk to. Eat together, smile together. Eventually, we call them friends.

Friends.

Friends.

All of a sudden, the word can become different.

Fiends.

Fiends?

We are drawn to the comfort of having someone to associate with. Someone, who is beside us, listens and talks to us.

But does proximity equate to loyalty? Does it make them your friend?

Let's make this clear: having a good friend is a gift but it is not everyone that has such a gift. Sometimes, those who we call our friends are wearing a cloak of deception.

What if your definition of a friend is the definition of an enemy? Friends ought to be around you, just like your enemies. Friends ought to put you first, just like your enemies if they were after you.

The difference between friends and fiends.

One letter.

R

Realness. Reliance.

False perspective

False perspective can play a major role in friendship. Ironically, there are two sides to it. When the “friendship” is at its early stages, it is rosy.

False perspective keeps us away from the harsh reality of the relationship. Our minds thrive on the possibility of what-ifs and ignore the blaring red flags. At times, our minds can be both logical and unreliable. Being in a friendship because it makes one feel comfortable, is not a reason but a problem. The illusion of comfortability is the false assumption that without them, you would be lonely. You are seeing the red flag, yet you desire to feel more comfortable than to feel light-hearted.

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Are All the People We Associate With Truly Our Friends?

There is a very common mask “friends” wear and use to claim friendship. It is the years they used to know the person. Some people think knowing someone for a long time means they are friends or something more.

The truth is no. A person can allow you to know what they want you to. If a person desires for the world to see the facade's good part, they will see it clearly. Years are not a determinant of friendship. There are lots of people we have known for a long time, but are they our friends? The bully in pre-school, the gardener, the nanny, the butler, and many others. We know them but they remain the title we give them. Being blinded by a good pretender does not deserve the title of friend.

Facing the Hard Truth

It does not mean that friends don't exist. They are even closer than we even acknowledge. It is in the actions we don't notice.

The little yet powerful actions. The ground swallowing problem you were saved from, who stayed with you? Who was the pillar that made you stand firm?

That image is already forming in your head, right?

They might not even acknowledge you as their friend. But they were there for you when you needed it the most. The ones that proclaim “friends” without even lifting a finger for you when you are in trouble are just your enemies. Or better, Fair weathered friends.

Conclusion

At times, enemies are better than friends. In this sense, you are aware of your enemies but you don't know who is close and secretly throw daggers at you. Enemies make you aware, but can you count on the arm wrapped around your shoulders to be real? The night need a light, is your friend that light…or darkness?