Hello, question asker! I'm Jiang 61, and I'm here to help.
Thank you so much for trusting us and sharing your heart with us in search of a solution. It's so hard when we fall out with friends, isn't it? I'd love to help you figure out whose fault it is and what you can do to make things right.
Let's take a look at the actual problem, analyze it, and find a solution together.
1. Personality
1. Your personality
You're a 22-year-old woman with a few friends. You're proactive and eager to make close friends. You're even willing to admit your mistakes when things have soured. I can relate! I've also fallen out with a good friend I've had for seven years. I don't have the courage to go to her, either.
From reading your first paragraph, I get the impression that you have few friends, so I can imagine how much you value the friendships you have made. You are empathetic, introverted, sensitive, and a bit stubborn, which makes you an interesting person!
And you'll go out of your way to make friends by pleasing others. I also noticed that you might feel a bit inferior and lack confidence, which is totally normal!
I'm not sure if your personality is affected by your upbringing. It seems like you and a friend you've known for seven years have had a falling out, and you're feeling unsure about going to her to make up.
I read your detailed supplement at the end, and I totally get what you're saying. Your relationship with friends should definitely be related to your personality!
If you have a melancholy personality, you might find this description helpful!
People with a melancholic personality tend to have a few things in common.
You're a thoughtful, highly sensitive, idealistic person who is in pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty.
You've got some great strengths! You're sensitive, loyal, talented, and insightful.
On the other hand, there are a few things that could use some work. You might be a little stubborn, indecisive, self-centered, pessimistic, or passive.
From what you've told me, it seems like you might have a melancholic personality.
A lovely, pleasing personality!
People with a pleasing personality are often very caring and thoughtful. They may worry about upsetting others or seem to try to please everyone around them. They often care deeply about what others think and may even worry about causing trouble for others.
You have a kind and gentle heart, but you also have a fear of conflict.
You're not the best at saying no or making demands, which is totally okay!
You get a little upset easily, and I know you worry about what others think of you.
You have a lovely, agreeable personality. When someone gets angry or there's a disagreement, you're quick to admit your mistake and show kindness to win back the friendship. This is also a side of you that could use a little more confidence.
2. Your friend's personality
We used to live together and we were like sisters! We never confirmed that we were each other's best friends, but we were definitely there for each other. She was so caring and helped me a lot when I was feeling down during my exam preparation. I also tried very hard to care for her.
From what you've told me, it seems like your friend's personality is quite similar to yours. She's got some of the same traits as you, but she's also got her own unique qualities.
For example, she'll go out of her way to care for and help you when you're feeling down. After accepting help from others, you said it was "very hard" to care for her.
This is where you differ. It's totally understandable! We all have our own unique personalities, and it's clear that you're a self-centered person, which means you rarely care about others.
After making this friend, you also care for and help her in return. She's a very sensitive person, and she senses the changes in your relationship, even though she doesn't say anything.
Because you two are so similar, people tend to gravitate towards each other, and your friendship just kind of grew and grew over the years!
2. Why things fell apart
1. Changes in the relationship
It's totally normal for your friend's relationship with you to change a little bit after she gets a boyfriend. Here's what you can expect:
It's totally normal for friends to send fewer or no text messages sometimes.
They don't share their life's interesting stories with you, which is totally understandable!
It's totally normal for daily conversations to gradually become less frequent, and for there to be a few days between speaking.
It's totally normal to feel a bit uncomfortable and upset when your friend seems to be ignoring you. It's natural to have all kinds of thoughts and even start to complain.
2. Your opinion
It's totally understandable! Your friend is busy with her boyfriend and can't reply to text messages or share interesting things in time.
Self-comfort: The best friends don't have to talk every day.
I've also been thinking about how I might be coming across as a bit too dependent on her, and that I might be feeling a bit neglected. I'm trying to work through all these tricky emotions on my own for now, as I don't want to burden my friend with my thoughts.
From what you've shared, it's clear you're invested in the nuances of your friendship. You've taken steps to understand her perspective and find ways to comfort yourself.
But, deep down, you felt ignored and tried to calm your troubled emotions by doing your own thing. This was your way of showing how unhappy you were with her approach.
3. How to turn things around
Because you were feeling a bit resentful, you ended up treating her the same way she had treated you. It's a bit of a vicious cycle, isn't it? You didn't reply to her messages and didn't share your life with her, just as she had done to you.
It's clear that at this time, even though you didn't say it directly, your actions showed that you were upset with her and were using this technique to get back at your friend. Your friend also felt it, but neither of you broke the ice.
I really feel for you. If only you'd discovered the conflict at that time and taken the time to sort things out face-to-face, it would have prevented your friend from saying hurtful things when she was not in a calm frame of mind. I'm sure you'll agree that you lacked timely, effective, and good communication.
4. Things got a little more intense between you and your friend.
I totally get it.
Because the test center for your exam is in the same city as your friend's, you arranged your own travel arrangements for the exam without consulting your friend. When you discussed how to get to the exam, you didn't tell your friend the real reason for your arrangements, but I'm sure it was for a good reason!
So, when you were chatting, your friend didn't quite understand why you were acting the way you were, which made past disagreements seem even more intense.
My friend's thoughts on the matter:
Your friend felt a bit ignored when she saw your response, and she started sharing her thoughts and feelings about the subtle changes in your relationship and what she was thinking during this chat.
You didn't want to go with her, saying that your feelings towards her had changed and that you felt you could end things with her whenever you wanted.
I can see how you might be feeling. It's totally understandable.
Your thoughts
I totally get it. I think the reason you didn't tell your friend was...
The test areas are all in the same city district, but the test locations are different. We both had to get up early to go to the city on the day of the test. I also wanted to go alone, so I didn't tell her. I thought that the test was all that mattered and that not going together wouldn't affect our relationship, so I didn't think much of it.
It's possible you didn't realize that what your friend cared about at that moment was whether you would go with her. This shows that you still cared about her and were thinking about her. In fact, what she really cared about was whether your relationship was still good.
Let's dig a little deeper to find the heart of the matter.
It seems like you're both caught up in your own thoughts, which can lead to misunderstandings. I know you were trying to explain further, but your subsequent explanation might have come across as an excuse for your own grievances.
Even someone on the outside would think you were speaking angrily without meaning to hurt the other person. But the actual effect is even more hurtful.
I just said that I had planned something myself, and I couldn't really say that I didn't want to go with her, because that would be even worse for her.
She also said, "Oh, why don't you explain to her why you're not going, sweetie?"
I said, "I'm sorry, I don't think there's anything to explain. I'm not her boyfriend, I wouldn't do anything bad. She didn't tell me in advance that we were going to be together. I had already booked a hotel and had a backup plan to either stay at the hotel the night before or have my family drive me there that day.
I ended up saying things like, "I thought you could understand me, but if you don't, no problem! We can just agree to disagree." It was also a bit of an angry remark, but I was just feeling a little frustrated.
I really felt for you after reading your conversation.
First, I think we could all benefit from discussing the matter in a more dispassionate manner. It seems we're arguing over every little thing, focusing on one or two words and interpreting the issue from our own perspective.
Secondly, it seems that you and your partner don't always feel able to communicate openly with each other. This can make it difficult to understand each other's feelings, and can result in words being spoken in a way that isn't as kind as they could be.
Third, it seems like you're not communicating effectively in a state of congruent communication, hoping only that the other person will understand you.
I think what's happening is that you're focusing on your own feelings, which is totally understandable, but it might be helpful to also consider the other person's feelings. It's possible that there's a communication gap, which is something we can work on together.
3. How can we work together to find a solution?
I think I can understand these things, but she just can't. Now several days have passed and we haven't spoken. Now that I think about it, it really hurts. I don't know what to do. This time I just couldn't bring myself to go and see her. Have I really done something wrong? Could someone please give me some advice?
You're still the same understanding person I've always known and loved. I know it can be hard to understand why your friend can't stand in your shoes and see your thoughts and situation, but I can see that you've stopped trying to please others and have become someone who wants to face problems and solve them.
It's so important to remember that you're still the same empathetic person, even if your friend can't stand in your shoes and understand your thoughts and situation. It's great to see that you've stopped trying to please others and have become someone who wants to face problems and solve them.
You're doing great! Give yourself a pat on the back for growing up!
It's totally normal to feel a little blue when you don't speak for a few days. It's so sad when a good friendship like yours, which has stood the test of time, gets a little rocky. It just goes to show that you don't have enough trust in each other, which is totally understandable.
And, coupled with the lack of good communication, this has really made things worse. But, there is still hope! Can it be fixed and the broken mirror reunited?
I'd love to offer you a bit of advice!
1. Build up a sense of trust
When you're trying to repair a friendship with someone you care about, it's really important to make sure you can trust each other.
And be honest with each other, my dear friend.
Be honest and open with your friends. If something unpleasant happens, choose a good time to talk and repeat what happened.
It's so important to express your feelings when you're feeling them, to share your understanding of the situation and how you handled it, and to be honest about any misunderstandings or actions you might have taken during the problem-solving process. Striving for mutual understanding is a great way to build a strong, loving bond with your friends!
We're here for each other, and we trust each other!
It's so important to trust each other! Be honest with each other about things that matter to you both. And if you make a promise, keep it! Don't let others down.
Do things that make each other trust each other. When problems arise, you can help each other, and we'll get through them together!
It's always there for you, through thick and thin.
No matter what, always believe that your friends are the most trustworthy people. They can always trust you, too! Always do your best to be trustworthy.
We all want to be there for our friends, so let's make sure we don't let them down!
2. Effective Communication
Communication is all about sharing information with each other. It's the whole process of sending a message to someone and hoping they'll respond the way you want them to. If you're able to do that, you've got effective communication!
Communication is made up of both verbal and non-verbal messages. It's often the case that the non-verbal part is more important than the verbal part. This includes things like body language, eye contact, facial expressions, and so on.
From what you've told me, it seems like there might be a bit of a communication breakdown. It's totally normal to forget to consider the other person's point of view sometimes, but when that happens, it can make things feel a bit awkward.
I'd like to share with you a four-step method for effective communication.
I can see that you're feeling a bit overwhelmed right now. It's totally normal to feel this way when things get hectic. I'm here to help you through this.
It's so important to remember that when we're communicating, it's not about the emotions, but the feelings.
Step 2: It's so important to express what you want, not what you don't want. It's also good to express that you are angry, rather than just expressing anger.
Step 3: It's so important to express your needs, not just your complaints. It can be really hard to let the other person know what you want, but it's so worth it!
Step 4: Think about where you want to go, not where you've been. Focus on the end result, not the event itself.
In your dialogue, you expressed your emotions rather than feelings. This made it difficult for the other person to understand your feelings, so they responded with emotions. In the second step, you didn't explain what you wanted, but rather blamed and expressed your anger. This made the other person feel uncomfortable, so they responded with anger.
Third, you got a little sidetracked by a word or two, and what was explained didn't quite match what was intended. This led to a bit of a misunderstanding, and you ended up attacking each other, which was unfortunate. Fourth, it would have been helpful to explain the purpose of your visit instead of dwelling on the incident.
However, when you change the way you express yourself and repeat the same thing, the effect will be different.
3. Emotion Management
It's so important to manage your emotions well, whether you're with friends, teachers, classmates, relatives, or friends. It's a great way to keep up good interpersonal relationships! Emotion management is all about recognizing emotions, accepting emotions, expressing emotions, and cultivating emotions.
It's so important to recognize your emotions!
This is the first step in managing your emotions. When you feel an emotion, take a moment to recognize what it is: anxiety, anger, sadness, etc.
It's so important to accept your emotions.
It's so important to remember that healthy emotions are those that match up with what's going on around us. When you're feeling what's going on in the moment, the best thing you can do is to tell yourself, "This is totally normal," and then just accept your feelings.
This way of thinking will help you feel less stressed and more relaxed.
It's so important to be able to express our emotions!
When we express our emotions, we're simply letting others know how we're feeling. It's all about being honest and open. We often say "I...", or "My feelings...", to let others in on what we're experiencing.
Cultivating emotions
I know it can be tough to handle all kinds of emotions, but you've got this! With a little bit of practice, you can learn to manage your emotions and grow stronger.
1) Try to lead a regular life. This will help keep your emotions nice and stable!
2) Develop your hobbies, let positive emotions drive you, love yourself and life, and feel the beauty of life!
(3) Learn to care for and look after others, let love dwell in your heart, help others to help themselves, and you'll have a happy life!
4) Spend more time in nature! It'll open up your mind and soothe your emotions, making them more stable.
5) It's so important to have good, trustworthy friends and spend time with people who are emotionally stable. This will really help to reduce any emotional interference and fluctuations.
My dear questioner, I hope these suggestions will be of some inspiration to you!
Wishing you all the best!
Comments
I understand how you feel. It's tough losing that closeness, especially with someone who has been such a big part of your life. Maybe it's time to reach out and share your feelings honestly without expecting things to be exactly as they were. Opening up might help her see how much you value the friendship.
It sounds like you're trying to strike a balance between accepting changes in your friendship and acknowledging your own needs. Perhaps expressing your thoughts through a thoughtful message or a facetoface conversation could bridge the gap between you two. Just let her know you're there for her when she's ready to reconnect.
Friendships evolve over time, and it seems like this one is at a crossroads. You've taken steps to become more independent, which is admirable. If you feel ready, maybe suggest meeting up just to catch up on life, not to fix anything, but simply to enjoy each other's company again. Sometimes that can reignite the bond.
Your situation is really challenging, and it's clear you're handling it with maturity. It might be helpful to reflect on what you want from this friendship moving forward. If you decide to talk to her, keep the conversation light and casual; you could start by sharing something funny or interesting from your day, reminding her of the fun times you used to have.
It's okay to feel uncertain about reaching out, especially after distancing yourself. But if you feel the absence too strongly, consider drafting a heartfelt letter or message. Expressing your feelings can sometimes lead to a new understanding, even if things don't go back to the way they were before. Sometimes, just knowing you tried can make all the difference.