> Maintaining a long term friendship is more about mutual acceptance of the flaws, imperfections and transgressions of the people in your life
Would you accept a flaw of a friend who decided once in his life to start taking loans from each of his friends and then use those loans to pay other friends back?
Would you accept a flaw where someone suddenly decides to become a cocaine addict?
Someone who got some success and suddenly started thinking are better than you? What if they failed down the way and came back telling “they now realise what kind of person they were”.
The problem is, why are you maintaining relationships like that?
Being a friend is not about that much maintenance. You can still be friends with someone who has these flaws in your life.
So it goes both ways. You shouldn't let flaws define a friendship, and you shouldn't let a friendship define your life either.
All of the people you mentioned I would still be friends with. The only thing I would "maintain" with them is keeping in touch or hanging out and maybe being there for them if they have a genuine problem I can help with.. but the help of course has limits...
If I can't help them, it doesn't mean I'm not their friend.
Would you accept a flaw of a friend who decided once in his life to start taking loans from each of his friends and then use those loans to pay other friends back?
Would you accept a flaw where someone suddenly decides to become a cocaine addict?
Someone who got some success and suddenly started thinking are better than you? What if they failed down the way and came back telling “they now realise what kind of person they were”.
The problem is, why are you maintaining relationships like that?