Toxic friends. We all have them...briefly. Some longer than others. But why?
The basis of friendships is a list of common interests and a genuine enjoyment of being in the presence of one another. So why would we choose friends that make us totally and utterly miserable? Why do we go out of our way to keep a dying flame alive, when it should have never been lit?
I have experience up the wazzoo when it comes to toxic friends, and each one is never a complete shock. Yet, I keep digging this hole, and when sauntering around the area, fall right back into it, forgetting when I dug it in the first place. Are some people just too trusting? Or ignorant?
I don't really mind this phenomenon of surrounding myself with bad people occasionally, because it teaches you something each time, and makes you a better person by realizing what characteristics you don't like, and how to avoid them. [This of course, has taken me many years to realize]. The important thing when coming across a Toxic friend, is to realize that it's a life lesson. Not to get hung up on yourself thinking "How did this happen to me?" and Facebook stalk them to see how much fun they're having with their new friends. Remember YOUR new friends, and your old friends.
Because the thing about friends are, that other than a good handful, they'll change by season.
Remember your core group, and feel free to dip your hand in the cookie jar for more. Just be aware that not all of them are chocolate chip. Some might be nasty ass Raisin, and you'll bite into them wondering 'it looks like chocolate chip, but it tastes funny.'
Don't worry. You'll realize soon enough to toss it and try again. Life goes on. Catharsis.
“A blessed thing it is for any man or woman to have a friend, one human soul whom we can trust utterly, who knows the best and worst of us, and who loves us in spite of all our faults.”
-Charles Kingsley