The thin line of friendship

What do you do when you are faced with the decision of either being a good friend or minding your own business?  Or do good friends mind their own business to the detriment of the friend?

That question comes up alot with women.  Then the follow up questions are, Who are you to say that the situation is detrimental to the friend?  Will she hate you if you are the bearer of bad news?  Will your friendship remain the same after the experience?

There is no simple answer as there are too many factors to take into consideration.  What is her personality like?  How much is she willing to put up with in her romantic relationship? She may have a higher tolerance for infidelity and other issues that may concern you. Maybe she is happy with things just as they are. Even if she appears unhappy, does she want advice and a solution from you? Is she mature and secure enough to receive constructive criticism and advice?  Does she see you as a threat?

These are tough questions to answer, especially when she has confided details of her romantic relationship that trouble her. Is her confiding in you a cry for help or just the desire to have a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on?

Before you can be honest with anyone, you must be honest with yourself.  Before jumping on the bandwagon of self righteousness and knowing it all. Put yourself in your friends shoes for a moment and make a decision based on love.  Look at the big picture and weigh the consequences of your actions.  You may be faced with a situation where the total truth to your friend hurts her and you need to know if it is worth it. The worth may be your relationship with her.  If your friendship is unable to survive a moment of honesty, then you needed to move one.