30 Of The Most Horrendous Things People Did That Made Them Lose Their Closest Friends

Redditor u/decisivevinyl was very open with Bored Panda about what had inspired them to start the online thread in the first place.

"Honestly, when I'm super bored on Reddit, I sometimes just try and come up with potentially interesting questions to ask on r/AskReddit," they told Bored Panda that it's a great way to pass the time and interact with the community. "Nothing really more to it than that."

We were very curious to get the thread author's opinion as to why some people do such incredibly messed up things, and how best to respond to them.

"Personally, I just think there are some [awful] people out there. And [awful] people will always do [awful] things," they explained their stance.

"The best way to respond to that behavior, in my opinion, is to not let it eat you up and just go about your life as best as you can. Because like I stated earlier, [awful] people will always be [awful]," the OP said.

Bored Panda was also interested to hear the redditor's thoughts on friendship red flags, and whether it's possible to figure out whether someone is an awful person before becoming fast friends with them.

"There can definitely be red flags in the traits of a person, but some people are better at hiding them than others," the OP told us.

"There might be some cases where you just honestly don't realize until it's too late and then there might just be a completely off vibe you pick up on before you get too deep into friendship," they shared their thoughts.

The types of friendships that dominate your life can have a massive impact on its quality. If you have even just a handful of genuine, authentic friends, you’ll feel like someone’s always got your back. That kind of support can give you a lot more confidence, no matter what you do. Because you know that they’ll be there with a kind word, a witty joke, a hug, or an activity to take your mind off things.

They’ll be there, by your side, through thick and thin: reveling in your successes and feeling your deepest failures as if they were their own. However, it’d be naive to think that everyone has such pals in their lives. Or that everyone you call a friend is actually one…

The fact of the matter is that far from everyone you meet will end up being your BFF whom you can trust with even the weirdest secrets. Some of them will turn out to be work friends whom you hang out with during lunch (and during the odd company party) but generally keep things professional. Other pals might only spend time with you because you have a shared hobby, whether that’s rock climbing or playing Dungeons & Dragons every Sunday night.

And then you have fair weather and superficial friends who love to spend time with you when things are going well but disappear at the slightest sign of trouble… or if you ask them for a favor.

Friendships are about mutual trust and respect. In short—they’re about a sense of balance. One red flag that you should definitely keep in mind is how often they ask you for help versus how often they end up helping you when you need a hand. You have to be honest about what someone else is offering you in the relationship.

Usually, proper friends offer emotional support, whether it involves gossiping over a slice of freshly-baked pie and a glass of cold milk or sitting in silence together as you fish for hours on end. Superficial friends, on the other hand, will be nowhere to be found if you’re in a dark place. They’re there just to have fun.

Some other signs that someone’s a false friend are that they talk about you behind your back and that they feel jealous when you’re successful. For instance, they might resent you when you get promoted or if you get engaged. They also won’t think twice to take advantage of your kindness. In these cases, it’s best to have a really good think about whether or not you should continue being friends.

Though if they do anything like in the stories in this list, the question should be very clear: cut all contact, move on with your life. There are so many wonderful people out there to befriend—you don’t have to stick with someone rotten.