Why Friendship Shouldn’t Be A Downgrade From A Relationship

Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels

Have you ever been told "let's just be friends" by someone you dated, and later found out that person had absolutely zero intentions of ever reaching out to you again? Not only is this incredibly confusing, but I also find it to be an insult to the idea of friendship itself.

I know that "friend" and "acquaintance" are seen as interchangeable by a lot of people, and I believe that I am in community even with strangers and people I don't like, but true friendship is actually quite rare. This is why I don't tell someone I want to be friends unless I actually mean it.

Friendship isn’t a consolation prize to be offered out of politeness or guilt at the end of a romantic relationship. It’s a whole different type of connection, and going from lovers to friends only works if all parties are committed to making that transition and taking responsibility for their feelings.

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