Being a good friend involves helping people out from time to time.

Much like in any type of relationship, there is a give and take that comes with being friends. Friendship can’t be all about fun hangouts and sharing interests; it also involves mutual support, and occasionally doing things for one another that might end up inconveniencing you. That is what makes the hard times easier, and the good times even better.

Unfortunately, this is a logic that not everybody is willing to accept. It is true that there is an element of risk to making a friend, and that protecting your boundaries is important, but that doesn’t mean that you should let personal hang-ups get in the way of doing your duty as a decent person who supposedly cares about those around you.

Of course, we all make mistakes. Sometimes, other priorities get in the way of us being the kind of friend that we should be, and arguments can happen. Still, there are some scenarios where we have no choice but to admit that we are in the wrong and try to learn from the experience, thinking about how we can be a better friend in the future.