How could he be such a bad friend?

We all have an idea of ourselves as kind, giving people who would do anything to help a friend get out of a bad situation. That is, until we actually try to help a friend get out of a bad situation and it doesn’t go as we expect. Helpers often expect the people they’re helping to be endlessly grateful for their help, willing to follow their advice at every turn. It’s far more common for someone in need to balk at being helped, because changing their life requires them to take steps they don’t particularly wish to take. And that’s their right; nobody is required to accept help from anybody, but it can make generous people more wary when people come to them for help in the future.

Most of us wouldn’t send thousands of dollars to someone we barely know who claims to be struggling, especially if we aren’t the most financially stable people ourselves. But you’d think we’d lend a helping hand to our best friend when they’re going through something and we have the resources to give.