Real Friends vs Fake Friends: 13 Ways to Instantly Tell Them Apart

They say good friends are hard to find. One person seems like a friend but actually is fake. Real friends vs fake friends, how can you tell the difference?

How do you tell the difference: real friends vs fake friends? It’s actually not that hard, all you need to do is pay attention to their actions. Eventually, the real intention of someone will show, however, you want to catch it early. That way, you can remove this person from your life. You don’t need them! They’re not your real friend in the first place.

So, if you’re wondering about the true intentions of a couple people hanging out around you, well, that’s already a sign. But if you want a more concrete answer, here’s how you can tell the difference between real and fake. [Read: The signs telling you you have a toxic friend]

Real friends vs fake friends- 13 ways to recognize the real ones

Growing up, we usually have many friends around us, and it’s great. You have people to hang out with, to laugh with, but as we get older, it changes. Your friends seem to disappear and live their own lives. Now, this is just a part of life, you can’t be friends with everyone. But sometimes the friends we choose aren’t really around us with their best intentions at heart.

They may simply be using you for a good time or to help them score chicks or guys. The point is, they don’t really care about you. There’s always going to be someone fake trying to tag along for the ride.

#1 You feel it in you. Your gut is telling you something for a reason and what it’s telling you is that this person is not to be trusted. If you have an uneasy feeling when you’re talking to someone claiming to be your friend, there’s a reason why your guard is up. Don’t ignore it, because it’s right. If you feel someone is fake, they’re fake. [Read: The shallow traits a superficial friend just can’t hide]

#2 Real friends are there when you hit bottom. Your life isn’t always going to be on a high. Sure, you’re going to have some great moments, but there are going to be some lows as well. Now, any friend can be there to celebrate, but if you’ve hit rock bottom and they’re not there, that’s not a true friend.

Real friends will plough through the bad times with you, right by your side. [Read: Good friends are like stars: How to build last friendships]

#3 Fake friends treat you differently around certain people. They may be nice to you when you are alone, however, when someone else joins in, they’re completely different. That’s a sign of a fake friend. They shouldn’t be treating you differently if they’re around people or not because they shouldn’t care. Fake friends are nice to you when they need something.

#4 They talk behind your back. Okay, we all have a tendency to do this. If we’re mad at our friend, we will talk about them to someone else. That’s normal. But if someone is talking poorly about you with the intention to spread rumors and have people change their perception of you, that’s not a friend. If you care about someone, you will never talk poorly about them.

#5 Fake friends will be jealous of your accomplishments. Of course, unless it benefits them. But if you landed a new job with more pay, they’re going to make snarky remarks about it. Sure, they’ll celebrate – if you’re paying, but they’re not actually happy about the accomplishments you’ve made. If you’re trying the figure the differences between real friends vs fake friends, always remember that real friends are genuinely happy for you. [Read: 13 signs of bad envy you’ll see when someone is jealous of you]

#6 A real friend will keep secrets. If you tell someone a secret, the point is that they shouldn’t share it with other people. A fake friend will take that secret and use it for their own personal gain while a real friend will keep their mouth shut and respect the fact that you shared something personal with them.

#7 Real friends accept who you are. A real friend isn’t concerned about what you’re wearing or if you’re wearing makeup. They love you for who you are. You don’t have to act or dress a certain way to impress them because that’s not what friendship is about.

#8 Fake friends call you when they need you. Calling someone just to see how they are and then calling someone only when you need something are two different things. Fake friends may be social with you on Facebook or Instagram but they only want to see you when they need something from you. [Read: How to end a friendship like a grown-up]

#9 Real friends forgive you. Everyone makes mistakes. And yes, maybe you made a big mistake, but real friends will forgive you. They’re not interested in torturing you or using your faults as a weapon against you. A real friend will accept your apology and continue being by your side.

#10 Fake friends don’t like the word “no.” Okay, honestly, who does like hearing the word ‘no’? But that’s not the point. A fake friend will take the extra step of not hanging out with you if you don’t give them what they want. A real friend may not like to hear the word ‘no,’ but they’ll continue hanging out with you.

#11 Real friends make time for you. Listen, you may have 2,000 friends on Facebook, but how many of those people can you call when you want to go watch a movie or grab a coffee? Maybe two or three of them. Real friends make time for each other. Yes, we all have busy lives but you always can make time for a cup of coffee. [Read: 14 ways to instantly recognize fake people and stay away]

#12 Real friends respect your opinions. We all have our own set of opinions whether it’s political or religious beliefs. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be friends with someone who thinks differently than you. If anything, it adds more excitement to the friendship. A real friend respects your opinions even if they disagree with you. The world is full of different opinions and thoughts. [Read: 15 ways to get yourself the friends you want] 

#13 Fake friends don’t care what you have to say. They don’t care because they don’t respect your opinion. If they’re hanging out with you but never really listen to what you have to say it’s because they don’t value you. We all have those friends that seem to just never listen, either they’re zoning out or on their phones. This is because they don’t care.

[Read: How to enrich your life and build real friendships]

When you find a true friend, keep them close to you. But before that, you’re going to have to figure out who’s a real friend vs fake friend.