There’s nothing worse than a wolf befriending a sheep -Marcus Aurelius
Fake friends, whether they’ve taken advantage of you, double-crossed you, or revealed their true colors for the first time. You’re bound to encounter them sometimes throughout your life. People suck, they lie, cheat, steal, and commit other heinous ethical and or moral crimes. We can’t control their actions, the actions of others are like ocean waves or the sunrise, they conform to their nature. We must remember their actions say nothing about us but reflect upon their character, integrity, and covert values.
Fake friends, unlike other types of hard to deal with negative people, we’ve made ourselves vulnerable to, and have likely dedicated time and energy to that can’t be taken back. Upon the aftermath of ending the relationship amidst their dramatic reveal, the emotional pain is similar to that of heartbreak but a lot less painful and long-term. Nonetheless it does sting, but what happens to you says nothing about you, rather how you respond.
Ending a fake friendship opens the door to forming true and trustworthy friendships. We should respond to external events such as ending a fake friendship with grace. We need to realize that pain is a part of growth and moving on. It’s also important to realize how we respond matters. Their actions say nothing about us. Use the pain as an opportunity for various practices and creative outlets. Whether it's practicing a philosophy or creating a song.
Seneca advises us to choose our friends with care, pondering for a while upon whether or not to admit a person into our friendship. But how else would you have stepped in such a room of wisdom, without first opening the door, by ending fake friendships?
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