Last Updated on January 12, 2025

Growing up, I didn’t have very supportive parents, so I depended on my friends for support. I had friends who came and went, but there was one friend who stuck around—or so I thought.

He was the kind of guy I loved being around. We did everything together, from hiking to going on trips. I guess it was somewhat my fault because I depended on him too much. I truly thought we were like brothers.

Still, there was always something off that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. For example, why would he come to me for advice, but when I went to him, he’d always say, “It’s your life. It’s up to you how you live it.”

When I was younger, I didn’t think much of it, but as I got older, I realized I hadn’t made all the right choices. That’s when it hit me—not only did he never give me advice, but he actively sabotaged my life to make himself feel better about his. For instance, he’d tell me that girls didn’t like me, only for me to realize later that they did. Or he’d say, “I heard that’s not a good job,” when in reality, it was.

Looking back, I realized it wasn’t even a friendship. It was someone tearing down my life to boost their own, all while using me to help with theirs.

Be careful who you surround yourself with because you never truly know someone’s true intentions.