You live in a small town Seriesmillertechcrunch, where there’s no traffic and the main street is paved with bucolic green stones. In this comfortable setting, you find yourself life-long friends who share your interests and support each other through times of crisis. When you need help or guidance, you can turn to these friends for critical answers and confidence-inspiring solutions. But what if these friends are different? What if they are out to get you — or worse yet, helping you to do it yourself? Think about it: don’t we all want that famous friend who will be there beside us when we need help? Is it not possible to have that kind of a friend even in rural China — and at the same time, be them as a threat to your social order as well? That’s exactly what one woman did in the news after publishing an article titled ‘Does democracy count for much on this corner? How I fought back against tyranny and infiltrated the spies system’. This woman was part of a popular internet group called ‘Living Without Fear’ where members shared their personal experiences and discussed them online. The group grew from around 10 people in early 2016 until around 300 members joined last year. So far, they have published more than 15 articles on various topics ranging from art to history. Their goal is not only to spread knowledge but also to fight social ills by exposing people to alternative ways of thinking and living. As such
What makes a good friend?
Friendships are special, but so are friendships with addicts. The addict, in this case, is you — and your best friend, your counselor or therapist. Your best friend helps you feel safe, heard and supported. Your counselor or therapist helps you express who you are as a person and helps you deal with your problems with confidence and helpfulness. The ‘ill’ in friend is not the term meaning ‘not a good person’, but the intention of having a healthy relationship with a friend. This means having empathy and a sense of humor when you have something bad happen, knowing when to take a stand when things are not working and being flexible enough to deal with changeovers because life happens.
A warm, accepting and nonjudgmental partner
Meeting new people can be scary for any two people — especially when you have addictions inside and out. You may have even heard that meeting a friend can be ‘bad for you’. But that is not the case. The friends you make will form a strong relationship based on common interests and mutual support — and you will likely end up spending more time with them because of that.
Helping someone in need
Everyone has a ‘desire to help’ — and that is exactly what friends are for. At a time when too many people are on the receiving end of helping out, friends can be an extra source of support. They can be there to offer empathy, to offer a listening ear and to offer a shoulder to cry on. There are many ways to help the poor — and no one ever said helping the rich would be easy. But you can find ways to help the poor without even realizing you have a friend in need of your assistance.
Resilience and decision-making power
The word ‘resilience’ describes an ability to bounce back from even the most difficult situations — which is exactly what you and your best friend were created for. When you find yourself in a difficult situation, you are naturally going to feel exhausted and drained. But that is exactly when you need the most support —which is why you should seek out support when you can. Guilt and shame are responses that need quick removal — not long-term solutions that can benefit both of you for a long time.
Commitment to human dignity and social justice
In a world of social media and constant communication, where friends and family members can be hundreds of miles apart, it can be easy to forget that there is a real and living wage wage available to people who work hard and contribute to society — even if they don’t have a job. This wage includes food and housing — and is basic and clear in its origins. It is not a token or a handout. It is a living situation. As a friend, you are both a potential source of income and a potential source of support for those who are less fortunate than you. And you can be a model for kindness and compassion when others are not sharing their experiences or empathy.
How to best act in crisis – Knowing when to break protocol and when not to
In times of crisis and unrest, you and your best friend can truly bring joy to someone’s day by helping them out. Whether it be escorting a loved one to the ER, helping a friend in need or helping out a family member, you have the power to make a difference. If you find yourself in a situation where you need to take a stand, when others are not following suit, or if you find yourself in a situation where you need to fib or half-truth, don’t be afraid to speak your mind — or at the very least, seek out someone you trust who can vouch for your authenticity.
Conclusion
So, friends, what do you do when all you want to do is sleep and then wake up in the middle of the night and there are people around you who are ready to kill you? Do you close your eyes and imagine that you have a friend in needs, and you call out to them? Or do you open your eyes and call out to all the people who are waiting for you at the other end of the line? In the end, you and your friend will have absorbed invaluable knowledge, gained confidence and have helped a lot of people. So, friends, do you think you could use a friend right now? Sure, drop what you are doing and ask for help. You will be more than happy to help a friend in distress.