You think you’re a good friend? You might be, but do you really have your bro’s back when it comes down to it?
Let’s look at the top 10 rules of having your buddy’s back:
Let’s look at the top 10 rules of having your buddy’s back:
- When It Gets Messy, Get Dirty. Sometimes, guys get into situations where common sense and “talking it through” simply don’t work. Maybe someone said something to your friend that was offensive, or maybe someone else was just looking for a fight. This is the epitome of having your friend's back. When the fists come out, you have to be willing to make sure your friend doesn’t get in over his head.
- Defuse the Bad Situations. Of course, another rule you have to keep in mind is that it’s best to keep a level head and to try to defuse a situation that’s getting out of hand if possible. Making sure that your friend doesn’t lose any teeth or get a black eye before an interview is a very good way to have their back.
- Follow Through. When you say you are going to do something, you had better follow through with it. If you are going to meet them at a certain time, be there. If you say you’re going to bring the beer, don’t show up at their place looking for a free Corona.
- Don’t Let Him Do Stupid Crap. If you have a friend that’s a guy, he’s going to want to do something stupid or dangerous at some point. No matter how funny it might seem at the time, you can’t let them do anything that would risk their life or their freedom, or that would allow them to hurt someone else.
- Be the Wingman Sometimes. Sometimes, you have to be the one who is the wingman. There’s nothing wrong with that. Let your friend meet some great women that he might like. Don’t worry; he’ll be your wingman next time.
- Be Honest. Don’t lie to your friend. Don’t sugarcoat things. Most guys are just going to resent that. Be honest with them. For example, if you see his girlfriend out with another guy, you have to tell him. It might be completely innocent, so you have to make sure he doesn’t get too upset or does any of that stupid crap we talked about earlier. What you can’t do is hide things from him, because that’s just going to cause more problems later.
- Be Understanding. Sometimes, he’s not going to be able to do things that you want to do. He might have family obligations. Understand that these things happen, and don’t make him feel guilty about it.
- Stay for the Bad Times. When he has some bad things happening in his life, be around for him. You don’t have to give him flowers and hugs, but just let him know you are there.
- Help Them Move. That’s right, help them move if they need it. This doesn’t necessarily only mean actually moving house (though it could), but it means helping them do things that are unpleasant so they don’t have to do it alone.
- Be Ready for Anything. Be ready for any wild and fun adventure that comes up, and at least be willing to try it, as long as no one’s going to get hurt. Go right up to the line of doing stupid crap, but don’t cross it.
