Emotional support
A true friend will always be there to support you mentally, physically and emotionally, no matter how hard the situation is while a ‘reel’ friend might post with you but lack any sort of emotional support and are mostly just social media show off.
Real effort
A real friend will make actual efforts to be available for you and take out time for you, no matter how hard it is. But a ‘reel’ friend looks forward to personal convenience and will choose to hang out with you only when bored or available.
Non-judgemental
You can talk to your true friend exposing your vulnerable side, without fear of being judged. You trust them fully and know they will support you even in your hard times. But on the contrary, ‘reel’ friends don’t make you feel that comfort level that you can share anything with them.
Healthy growth
Fake friends will always be envious and try to be competitive. Your success might threaten and burden them while your true friend will be right by your side to celebrate your victory.
Trustworthy
A true friendship is one that stays the same in all highs and lows and you can always count on them. Their consistency and trust is what makes the relationship long standing. Seasonal friendships are often inconsistent and vary with convenience and personal motive.
Pure love
True friends love you unconditionally, no matter what and they never judge you. The friends that stay for a season remain connected conditionally only. They mostly aim for some profit in relationships.
Moral correctness
A friend who is not real will try to maintain just a surface-level relationship with you, flattering you and always saying things that you want to hear. But your real friend will always be there to guide and correct you, no matter how wrong you are and what you want to hear. For them, it matters the most that you turn out to be morally correct rather than pleasing you with mere words.
Deep relationship
Conversations with a true friend are not just superficial, rather deep seated. You can talk about anything and everything with a deeper level such as future goals, life challenges or relationship issues. On the contrary, a reel friend talks about fun and entertainment and superficial topics.
And so, reel friendships may look attractive on social media posts, but they are not ones that matter in the long run. Friendships are built with trust, empathy, compassion and mutual respect. So always be mindful of the friends who stay with you in the long run, rather than for a few pleasurable moments.
Contributed by Aamish Dhingra