LogFAQs > #965421235

LinkFanatic posted...

This makes me stop to question how much my own cynicism and misanthropy is holding me back from that sort of thing since you guys seem to have had completely different experiences than me regarding this.

*contemplates*

Like I said, it's easier said than done. When most people think of close friends they can share their deepest thoughts and problems with, they think of something like childhood friends. When in reality, most of those friends usually come much later in life. The best ones are the empathetic, even if their views don't align with yours. My closets friend was someone I met while working at a soup kitchen, hosted by a local church nearby me (hilariously enough, this is also where I met my wife). He's fairly conservative in his views (granted, he's not the crazy Trump lovers) and I'm fairly liberal in my views. But he's empathetic and will always find nuance in his responses. I remember sharing how I felt conflicted about me being pro-Trans but having second thoughts about them competing in sports. Instead of the mean spirited "lol Lefties are eating themselves" he responded with, "It's true that Men have an inherent advantage over Women, but so do tall guys have over short guys in basketball. Where do we draw the line?" The best ones are the ones that will call you out of your shit and not be an echo chamber. He flat out called me out when I was trying to share about how unreasonable my wife was about not letting me have "me" time like playing video games and his response was, "Yeah, but there won't be much "me" time if you're planning on having a kid. You gotta learn how to juggle that better dude. Your wife is not the type to complain unless it's serious."

Having a good friend comes along way and I'm glad for all the ones I made in my life. It's easier said than done, but it's worth it.