A real friendship survives this test...

How do you know that a friendship is real -- that it's built to last?

The test is simple: See what happens when one person doesn't need the other for anything anymore.

We all get something out of friendships: a person to hit up the bar with, a gym buddy, a shoulder to cry on when things go awry.

But sometimes circumstances change in one's life that leaves them with less time for or interest in a given friendship: They move, get married, they have kids, and so forth.

Unfortunately, many of my friendships have ceased to exist -- or become much more watered down -- as soon as the person got into a relationship.

Some people seem to have trouble juggling their relationship with their friendships. It could be a sign of a possessive partner, or maybe the friend is so head over heels in love that they couldn't care less about their friends anymore.

I've observed that people who abandon their friends for a relationship end up regretting it, especially if the relationship goes down the tubes.

This happened with a close friend of mine. In the 8-month span he was in a relationship, he showed very little interest in hanging out with me. Once the relationship was no more, he was back to his old ways, calling me almost every Friday to hang out.

Such selfish behavior is completely unacceptable. A true friend doesn't leave his friends out in the cold once he's in a relationship. A true friend makes time for everyone he genuinely cares about, even if it's only a fraction of the time they used to spend together.

And making time doesn't have to mean eating out and taking trips to Las Vegas. It can be as simple as a quick phone call or text message -- just to let them know they're on your mind.

If a friend kicks you to the curb as soon as they get involved with someone, they were never a true friend. It's when the person doesn't need you anymore that they show their true colors. I gave my friend a chance because we've been friends for over 15 years.

But I was sure to admonish him very tactfully: If you do it again with the next girl, consider our friendship over. A "friend" who forgets about you one time while in a relationship is bad enough. Two or more times is no fluke -- it means the person assigns little value to friendships once they have a partner.

If there's something I can take immense pride in, it's the fact that I've never abandoned my friends during the 11 years I've been with my wife. In fact, my wife and I frequently bring them along on many of our outings.

Some people mistakenly assume that a relationship will last forever and that friends will always stick around, whether you pay them any attention or not. There's no guarantee that either of those things will happen, as many people in ill-fated relationships discovered a tad too late.

Have you ever used this litmus test on any of your relationships? Have any of your friends fallen off the map completely once they've gotten into a relationship?

Do you have Isolophilia? Find out...

You're probably asking yourself, "What in the world does Isolophilia mean?" It sounds like it would be something negative, doesn't it? After all, words that end in "philia" (e.g., pedophilia) tend to involve things we want nothing to do with. But Isolophilia isn't something all people deplore. In fact, introverts like me welcome it. Put simply, Isolophilia is defined as having a strong affinity for solitude. It describes a person who relishes being alone. While extroverts can only take so much solitude, we introverts find that it rejuvenates us. In order to recharge our batteries, we need to retreat to a quiet environment where we we're left alone to rest and/or gather our thoughts. Extroverts, on the other hand, become bored and drained when they're alone for a lengthy period of time. Social interaction is the fuel that drives them. So while an extrovert would probably do anything to avoid feelings of Isolophilia in most cases, an...

No response from someone IS a response

Make no mistake about it: When you don't get a response from someone -- whether they fail to answer your texts or return your phone calls -- it is still a response, and a powerful one at that. When a person fails to respond, it's a direct reflection of their interest -- or lack thereof -- in the relationship. Few things are more aggravating than having to hound a partner, friend, or relative for some sort of reply after we've reached out to them. Yes, we get busy from time to time, but that doesn't give anyone the right to leave the other person hanging. A terse text with something like "Been busy, will reach out soon" doesn't say much, but at least it shows some effort to bring the other person up to speed on why they've fallen off the radar. Failing to provide a response for weeks -- if not months -- communicates that you are just not a priority, and that you'll have to wait your turn to get this individual's attention. This is n...

An important note to women about men and attraction

I was raised by my mom, grandma, and two older sisters. Growing up, never did I ever take any interest in the girls at school who tended toward exposing more skin. I always treated them as I would my female family members -- with the utmost courtesy and respect. And anytime I suspected that a male friend or acquaintance of mine adopted a hump-and-dump attitude toward women, I nixed them from my life. I held men who treated women as objects in very low regard, and still do to this day. If women feel empowered to show off their bodies because they love and work hard on their physique, more power to them. In other words, if they're doing it to please THEMSELVES and no one else, good for them. However, those who do it specifically to curry men's favor are making a big mistake. It sends the wrong signals and actually makes it less likely that a man will want to stick around for a committed relationship (if that's what you want as anyway). Granted, if you're not lookin...

How To Understand People

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