Self | Psychology
5 Subtle Signs of a Fake Friend
Quality social connections are critical to your well-being.
A 75-year-long Harvard study found that quality relationships are the most important factor for enduring happiness and success.
Having good friends and partners protects the brain, preserves emotional well-being, and lowers physical pain.
This finding doesn’t include fake friends.
They arrived with a new tide
I grew up very middle class and had the unique experience of watching my dad rise from a junior officer to a vice admiral in the Navy, and then Undersecretary of Defense.
Over the course of my life, I saw people’s attitudes toward him change dramatically. He went from being a normal dude to being treated like a celebrity in government circles. He had a driver, who was an armed former cop, who picked him up in a bulletproof car to drive him to the Pentagon each day.
It was all over the top and cool, and obviously, I’m very proud of his success.
However, things get weird sometimes. When people don’t know who he is and find out, I can see the switch happen. Their tail starts wagging. It’s a whole scene.
