Last updated on December 31st, 2022 at 05:50 pm
Friendships, of course, are forever. But not every friend is worth being in your life forever.
And if you have those unsupportive, jealous, mean, and toxic friends then these are signs that it’s time to end a friendship before they make you one of them.
Keeping such friends in life, even after knowing them, only means you don’t respect yourself, enough.
When you have to stop being someone’s friend…
Your friends are not less than a family.
They are the family that supports and cares for you when you’re not home.
But there comes a time when you have to let go of a friendship just because they do not feel like friends anymore, nor does it add any value in your life that you deserve.
No matter whatever the reason it may be. No matter how old your friendship is.
For your mental peace and inner happiness, you should let go of such friends and any connections… that either stop you, frustrate you or leave you in a chaotic life.
These are some reasons and signs that should alert you at the right time informing you that it’s time for cutting friends off your list.
Because they are being toxic for your life, and that’s not how friendships work, normally.
Now let’s refer to some common signs that eventually are the reason to end a friendship with someone.
Only Because they’re no more worthy enough to stay as your friend.
13 Signs it’s Time to Let go of a Friendship
1. When your friend sees you as a competition.
Most friendships involve some level of competition and comparison.
Additionally, it is also beneficial to have friends that are motivated and confident enough to take on bigger challenges with you.
Comparisons between friends are okay to a certain point if they support each other.
Plus, you may have such friends who compete with you literally in every area of life and try to look better than you or have fear of falling behind.
Which proves that they are not supportive or responsible at all.
Such unhealthy competition in friendship is the most common sign that leads to a challenging friendship that is hard to survive and needs to end as soon as possible.
You better let go of such friends who never let you enjoy the progress you’re making in life.
2. When your friends only take and never give in.
One-sided friendships always hurt.
When one of your friends only calls you when they need something like money, your car, or anything…
But, never showing up when you need their support are signs that it’s a pure one-sided friendship.
Such friends only want to take something out of friendship.
The point is… they never contribute enough, as they expect from other people. They are just for themselves and care for no one except their own.
There’s a good chance that you may have such mean friends in life when you are too nice and actually help others without expecting anything in return.
In this case, if you value your time and effort and don’t want to feel used by such a friend…
You should cut off communication with him.
And if that normal thing is completely ignored by your friend and if they keep taking advantage of you, then these are signs that you need to end a friendship soon.
Because if you keep avoiding such behavior then soon you will reach your limits…
And there will be nothing left for you except broken trust and regrets.
Check other: 11 Signs Your Parents Don’t Care About You
3. When you want to avoid them as much as possible.
Similarly, your friends are not investing enough in the friendship, you don’t have the interest to have such a meaningful connection.
Not being committed to a friendship with all your heart, is a sign the friendship should be ended.
You can’t force yourself to make others happy when your inner self isn’t happy with them.
Really, you don’t want to be around them, but you can’t easily cut off the connection.
Every time you see an incoming call or text message saying “Hi” from such a friend, you find yourself anxious and trying to ignore it.
As a result, you get angry with yourself for what you have to do for them.
Spending time with them or helping them, seems like pressurizing yourself. But, you can’t do anything for yourself.
Well, you never have to stay that stuck anymore.
Stay true to yourself and keep your distance from such friends, when you can’t end a friendship or need some solid reason to end a friendship.
By forcing yourself to continue friendships when your mindset isn’t right, you welcome negativity into your life.
4. When they never respect you and what you do for them.
Of course, you never desire any recognition or special treatment from your friend when you go there to help them.
Just like you follow your responsibility as a friend to help them…
They are also responsible for making you feel appreciated and respected enough.
Yes, even though you don’t expect that, doesn’t mean you don’t deserve it.
Your friend must understand the importance of you and the value you bring to their life. And that’s even without your information.
But, instead of valuing your help when such a negative friend takes advantage of your work and takes all the credit…
Just avoid letting this unhealthy behavior continue to happen to you.
Crossing all the limits as a friend, playing with your feelings, being dishonest, and not respecting you at all are proven signs that it’s time to end a friendship with them.
Be careful to avoid following their example in the future.
Before they make you feel regretful for being a loyal friend and force you to change yourself as toxic friends as they are, take the first step and just cut off some friends out of life.
Check other: 10 Signs Your Coworkers Are Intimidated By You
5. When you always bring something negative, after talking or being with them.
You cannot take anything positive away from your toxic friends.
Whenever you have a meeting with them…
You either return with worries, frustration, regret, or a feeling of discomfort.
Probably they make fun of you for being different or force you to change yourself.
No, it’s not like a routine joke or fun by any means.
They know you feel hurt with certain words and comments on you. And so, they do it on purpose.
While you want to distance yourself from these friends, they keep making fun of you and taunting you every now and then.
You feel uninterested and dread every party or hangout invitation from them.
Because you know there is nothing for you except mean jokes and silly comments on you.
You never have to tolerate such behavior and let them do something to you that you are not comfortable with.
Overall, if you found yourself making excuses to any of their plans are signs it’s time to end a friendship.
Because they provide you with nothing but frustration and hatred.
6. When they stops you from growing in life, it’s time to let go of such friend.
Friends are there to support each other and improve along.
Indeed, that’s the undisclosed rule of friendship.
But you also may have such friends that won’t let you grow or keep you away from the life that you want to create.
There is nothing wrong if your and your friend’s goals aren’t aligned.
After all, everyone is different here and has a unique purpose to follow in life.
And only, a few true friends can accept such differences and one’s priorities.
Like commonly said that it is better to accompany like-minded people to grow in life.
But, you also may have friends who never support you, make fun of your goals, and actually prevent you from doing something great in life.
A toxic friendship can halt your growth, plus such friends won’t allow you to live life on your own terms.
Such friendship needs to end before it spoils you anymore.
Likewise, cut off connections with friends who live aimlessly plus won’t allow you to achieve your goals.
Having a distance or breaking up with a toxic friend is a wiser decision.
Check other: 10 Signs of A Childish Behavior In Adults
7. When you don’t see any value in friendship.
With that means, we don’t want to seek your benefits out of any friendship.
Nope, not at all. Because not every friendship is equal and not every friend has that same influence in your life.
Similarly, in regular friendship, you also have such random and occupational friendships…
Which do not have that much impact on your life and routine, overall.
Anytime when your regular friendship starts to make you feel drained and not worthy enough… then it is proof that such friendship isn’t worth your time, anymore.
Feeling incomplete, regretful, and exhausted after being with someone is a sign that you don’t want to be with that guy.
You feel emotionally and mentally exhausted each time you return from meeting friends, rather than having had a relaxed time.
Such are clear signs that it’s time to cut off the connection with such friends who make you feel depreciated rather than valued or encouraged.
8. When your friends are too demanding or jealous, it’s time to cut off.
It is the responsibility of a friend to take care of one another’s needs and to support each other when the time comes.
Also, this is a mutual connection that allows people to stay together valuing each other priorities and life decisions.
There is no need for any form of force or control.
When your best friend forces you to behave in certain ways or to call every day… they become too demanding and possessive.
Moreover, such friends feel jealous knowing that you have some good connection with another person out of him or her.
Such a controlling approach in friendship or relationships isn’t acceptable at all.
Rather than valuing life priorities and personal space, when such friends become too personal…
Moreover, they want you to share every major-minor thing with them are signs that it’s time to end a friendship with such toxic friend.
Because this is not something that you can call a healthy friendship.
Check other: Signs Your Best Friend Is Replacing You
9. When the conversation is only about them and not about you.
As with friendships and relationships, a conversation must also be two-sided.
Every time you spend with your friends, you just have to listen to them talking about the life challenges and struggles they face every day.
And it’s your turn to speak or you have something to share with them…
They get busy with their phone or find something important to work on priority.
It’s like they only want you to listen to them and give them moral support, ignoring the fact that you also may require it sometimes.
When such friends use you to be with you in need and walk away when you want to be heard are signs that it’s time to end a friendship.
Because your friend has no respect for you, better know.
10. When a friend relies on you literally for everything.
Friendships are there to make each other feel complete and confident.
Of course, having a true friend motivates us to do something that we never think we can deliver.
It is hard to find such great friends, which is why they should be treasured.
But, in the complete opposite case, when you don’t have a friend who equally contributes as you do or are just too much dependent on you…
You may end up being an unlucky friend.
You don’t have to fix everything for one’s life. After all, you too have a life to fix as well.
When your friends rely too much on you for everything which they are supposed to handle by themselves, and these are signs it’s time to let go of a friend and let them stand up on their own, without your support.
And that’s the best job you can do as a best friend.
Which probably makes them come to you later just to thank you for showing them the right path in life.
Check other: Signs Someone Is Not Trusting You
11. When you have no trust in your friends.
No matter whatever relationship there is, mutual trust is the requirement.
Whether it’s because of inner feelings or due to past events when your friend has betrayed you…
You never see some friends as trustworthy people to believe or share something with.
Friendship without trust is a burden itself, that makes you feel frustrated and worried overall.
When you can’t trust your friends it itself proves that you don’t have a healthy friendship in between.
It is better to cut such friends from your list than allow them to waste your time.
12. When you get to see their true face, it’s time to let this friend go.
There was a time when you were so proud to have such wonderful friends who were there for you when you couldn’t handle yourself.
Because they are truly helpful and contribute likewise.
After a few months, however, you get to see the complete opposite side of their personality.
Now such friends are being toxic which you were never aware of before.
Mostly because of ‘that jealousy’, they start criticizing you for every action. They never stop sending negative vibes your way, because they want to stop you.
Such are those two-faced friends, who mostly wait for the perfect time to reveal themselves.
Moreover, such friends stay there during your hard times because they like you seeing struggling and difficult time.
When you’re starting to grow and succeed, they try to hold you back and start questioning your abilities.
Overall, this is a valid sign that it’s time to end a friendship with someone who can’t celebrate your success equally.
Check other: 12 Signs of a Mature Person To Prove You’re One of Them
13. When you have a friend who wants to destroy you.
Friendships are important for growing in life and making you feel good about yourself.
Agreed, Your friends don’t directly help you to achieve your life goals. But their presence during the whole entire journey matters.
However, you’re the unfortunate person to have a friend who secretly wants to destroy you.
These friends are best to stay away from when you know them in the beginning.
Not only do they waste your time, but they also do everything to keep you from your dreams.
Before you blindly trust them, find such toxic friends and cut them off from your life.
Cutting friends off… is the hardest decision, ever. But, it’s wiser, indeed.
Of course, that’ll be not easy for you to leave such a friend with whom you have lived some great time and collected so many memories in life.
But, rather than seeing what you two did together in the past you also have to look for the future, too.
Especially when such friends become toxic plus trying to control your life and ruin your happiness…
You better know what to choose: Friendship or Your Life.
Friendship is supposed to help you become a better person in life.
It has to be stronger enough to give you that confidence, which you don’t get even from your family.
And when such friendships don’t accept you as you are, or let you create life on your terms, then are ultimate signs that it’s time to end a relationship.
Not only because they are not worthy enough, but also because they try to keep you to their level.
We know simply saying “Goodbye friend” and walk-away is not as easy as it seems. Sometimes, you just have to do it, at least for yourself.
With a strong belief in universal signs and positivity, Ketan P. started ‘Signs You Are‘ to shed light on the daily signals we miss. Every article on this site reflects his experiences, learning, and reflections over the years.