Wise People Of The Internet Share The Moment They Realized Who Their ‘Friends’ Really Are

When someone shows you who they are you're supposed to believe them, but sometimes that's easier said than done. Many people stay in friendships or relationships long past their expiration date because they can't or don't want to see what's in front of them.

Eventually, though, you're going to have a moment when the clouds clear and you realize that those people you spend all your energy on caring for or helping won't do the same for you when you need them.

Clearly, They Weren't Above Taking Sides

ghosted after divorce by all their friends
Photo Credit: Reddit / violet_wet_dream
Photo Credit: Reddit / violet_wet_dream

It's strange that their friends would blatantly choose sides if this person and their ex are on friendly terms, but not everything in life is going to make sense to everyone.

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Friendship Isn't Only About Taking What You Need

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young man in white polo shirt seated at table outside talking
Photo Credit: Unsplash / Chase Chappell
Photo Credit: Unsplash / Chase Chappell
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"I would never hear from anyone unless they needed something, usually when they wanted it for free." —Reddit / YrCrepsAreWeak

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A friendship is supposed to be based on giving and taking, not just taking.

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Imagine How Uncomfortable That Man Must Have Felt

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talking to classmate when they asked
Photo Credit: Reddit / RelevantError3808
Photo Credit: Reddit / RelevantError3808
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Not only must that man who overheard this exchange have been uncomfortable, but we have no doubt that the person on the receiving end of this comment was pretty darn uncomfortable too.

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Sometimes You Need An Outside Perspective

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paramedic pointed out a person who has terrible friends after they were injured
Photo Credit: Reddit / summmerboozin
Photo Credit: Reddit / summmerboozin
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You may not have been willing to see it before, but once a person on the outside points it out—especially after an event like this one—it's pretty hard to defend your so-called friends.

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You Should Infiltrate Her Friend Group

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black and white photo group of friends staring out at landscape
Photo Credit: Unsplash / Ihor Malytskyi
Photo Credit: Unsplash / Ihor Malytskyi
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"When I broke up with a girl that I had dated for less than 5 months and they all abandoned me for her and then found out they all were taking a trip to Colorado together and nobody bothered to tell me. I found that out on Facebook." —Reddit / nslusz

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A Tough Way To Learn A Lesson

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friends left person in cuba bleeding and they realized how awful their
Photo Credit: Reddit / DragonWonInRealLife
Photo Credit: Reddit / DragonWonInRealLife
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This would be the final nail in the coffin for a whole lot of friendships. It might have been the first and only nail, but a nail no less. They've shown their true colors, and you have to see that.

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They Were Just There To Sit Back And Be Quiet

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person whose friends would shush them whenever they spoke
Photo Credit: Reddit / XxToxicandyxX
Photo Credit: Reddit / XxToxicandyxX
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If someone tells you to stop talking when you try to tell them something, or only values your opinion when it benefits them, or always takes more than they're willing to give, they're not your real friend. Plain and simple.

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You Can Do Better Than Them

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three women walking through flower field
Photo Credit: Unsplash / Priscilla Du Preez
Photo Credit: Unsplash / Priscilla Du Preez
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"Me and two girls were walking down the street and they completely ignored me, so I was walking behind them. Then I decided to just turn around and walk back home. They didn't notice and never asked where I went. That really hurt." —Reddit / fetteartig

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Phones Work Both Ways

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person who stopped initiating contact and lost their friends
Photo Credit: Reddit / _neongravestones & Mailza
Photo Credit: Reddit / _neongravestones & Mailza
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People choose what they want to see. In her mind, you were the one who cut the friendship off because you never contact her, but you know it's just the pot calling the kettle black.

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No Friendship Is Worth This Much Effort

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large group of friends at sunset by bonfire
Photo Credit: Unsplash / Kimson Doan
Photo Credit: Unsplash / Kimson Doan
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"When I realized that I was practically harassing them to hang out with me. You just gotta get some self-respect and learn to let it go." —Reddit / bee-have

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Spend your energy on people who actually want to receive it.

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Cut Your Losses And Run

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friend/roommate who ripped them off for 700 dollars
Photo Credit: Reddit / kozmik_786
Photo Credit: Reddit / kozmik_786
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It's pretty hard to come back from a betrayal like this one. You'd be hard pressed to give us a good reason why we should allow our friends to rip us off for hundreds of dollars.

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No More Social Media, No More Connections

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close up of instagram, facebook and twitter apps on phone
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Photo Credit: Unsplash
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"When I got rid of Facebook. On the plus side, it did show me who the real friends were and who I was willing to keep up a meaningful relationship with." —Reddit / Unwieldyboar

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Friends Would Believe You

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believing a rumor over a friend
Photo Credit: Reddit / tokecaine
Photo Credit: Reddit / tokecaine
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All relationships are built around trust, whether they're romantic or platonic. If you don't trust your friends and don't believe them when they tell you something, are you really friends?

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A Common Realization

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middle school friendship mistakes
Photo Credit: Reddit / yeetgodmcnechass
Photo Credit: Reddit / yeetgodmcnechass
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It's fairly common for people to realize once they're out of middle school or high school that the friendships they thought would last forever were actually more out of convenience than the desire to be friends.

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The Party Got Moved To Another House

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group of young people at house party
Photo Credit: Unsplash / Jacob Bentzinger
Photo Credit: Unsplash / Jacob Bentzinger
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"When I got ill, once they realized I could no longer throw parties for them they all left." —Reddit / Generations18

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Clearly, these are not the kind of people that you want to spend your time or energy on anyway.

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Leave Them On Read And Move On

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unanswered mesages to a friend who then asks for your hellp
Photo Credit: Reddit / ArmatrollPUBG
Photo Credit: Reddit / ArmatrollPUBG
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How many unanswered texts do you want to write off as the person just being busy before you realize that maybe they're simply choosing to be too busy to answer you?

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Putting Two And Two Together

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realizing friends talk about him behind back
Photo Credit: Reddit / hokeyWB
Photo Credit: Reddit / hokeyWB
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There's a saying that if someone will talk about others with you, they'll talk about you with others, and that seems to ring true in many situations including this one.

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The Quotations Are Key

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two women laughing on beach with third friend talking
Photo Credit: Unsplash / Ben White
Photo Credit: Unsplash / Ben White
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"When I realized that my two 'best friends' just came over to mess with me and make fun of me together." —Reddit / SmokeWineEveryday

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Based on the quotation marks, we're going to assume this person must have realized that a best friend wouldn't be doing this.

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Find The Friendship That Works For You

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friendship that extends outside of school or work
Photo Credit: Reddit / Steff_164
Photo Credit: Reddit / Steff_164
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What someone defines as friendship could look different than what you'd consider a friendship, but the most important thing is finding friends who share the same view as you. Find the people who can give you the interaction and level of connection that you want or need.

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A Lesson For Everyone

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person who says stop watering dead plants applies to friendship too
Photo Credit: Reddit / Lipstick_on
Photo Credit: Reddit / Lipstick_on
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Admitting that a friendship isn't right for you or moving on from someone toxic can be a difficult process, but it gets to the point where you have to look at where you're spending all your energy.