5 Unspoken Rules of Friendship That Everyone Should Follow

Answer by Awdhesh Singh, Author, IITian and an IRS officer, on Quora.

Friends are the greatest gift to any human being. I consider a person truly blessed, if he has great friends. We all want great friends but often can’t have them because we don’t really know many unsaid rules of friendship. Let me list a few of such unsaid rules.

1: Common Values

It is my experience of life that when friends share common value, the friendship last forever. The friendship between honest and corrupt, hardworking and lazy can’t live long. Don’t make friends for networking and furthering your personal interests.

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2: Complimentary Value

You can’t have friendship with someone who is exactly like you. Your friends must complete you in some respect so that you feel more fulfilled because of him. He must be able to guide you in the right path and even criticize you when you are wrong.

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3: Emotional Bonding

There is an element of love in friendship. You must be emotionally attached to a person to become his true friend. The mention of his mere name by someone must bring smile to your lips. Friendship is thus a matter of chemistry as well. You can’t click with everyone.

4: Quality over Quantity

You can’t have a large number of friends. Someone who has a large number of friends can’t devote his emotional energies to fulfill the obligation of a good friend. Even if you have just one good friend that is enough to lead a blissful life in this world.

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5: Standing with Friends

It is wisely said that ‘a friend in need is friend indeed’. This applies to you too. Hence, if you are making friends, be ready to stand at the time of his need. If you don’t stand in his bad times, you lose his friendship forever.

This question originally appeared on Quora: What are some unsaid questions of friendship?