Should You Break Up With A Friend?

DATING & RELATIONSHIPS

- Monica Karpinski

I WAS DUMPED BY my high school best friend during my first year of university.

Turns out, our friendship didn't magically weather the changes that came with moving to the next stage of life. If it was going to survive, both of us needed to work for it.

On my part, I did try-however clumsily. But, she told me pointblank, it just wasn't working for her and she wasn't willing to do the same. Reader, it hurt more than any of my romantic breakups.

There's a cruel and specific pain that comes with friend split-ups. It's a rejection that's somehow more personal and slices deeper, like a paper cut exactly where your fingers bend.

That's because with friends, the stakes are purely personal.

Friendships don't have the same formal structure nor call for the same commitment as with a partner or family; you enter into friendships voluntarily, simply because you like each other.

Maybe this is why we believe (or hope) that our friends will always stick around. If the relationship carries fewer expectations, surely there's less risk it will break down?