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Never apologize for what you feel

Whether it's in an old friendship or a new romantic relationship, you should never have to apologize for making clear how you feel.

Being remorseful for one's feelings is like saying, "I'm sorry for being real."

Openly communicating one's feelings is healthy and beneficial -- as long as it is done in a tactful fashion. Of course, declaring one's feelings in the throes of a fiery rant won't yield great results.

If you don't put your feelings on the table, your friend or partner won't know what's going through your head.

Once their eyes have been opened to your feelings, they should show respect and compassion toward your perspective, even if they roundly disagree with it.

While being forthcoming in this way may not always rub people the right way, it is certainly better than keeping those feelings hidden out of fear of backlash.

In the latter scenario, the person may feel they lack an outlet, prompting them to (1) divulge personal details to someone who may have no business knowing them, whether in person or on Facebook (2) cheat (3) jeopardize the relationship in other ways.

Partners/friends should maintain an "open door policy" when it comes to saying what's on their mind. They should assure each other that once those feelings come to light, it will not result in judgment, finger pointing, or retribution of any kind.

In relationships built on trust and open communication, saying how one feels is encouraged because both individuals recognize that doing so only strengthens their bond. They can only work to make things right if they know what's on the other person's mind.

If you're afraid to speak up because you fear the other person won't take it well, perhaps the two of you have trust and communication issues to work through, or you may very well be in a friendship/relationship that doesn't suit you well.

It's not always easy to tell someone you care about how you're feeling, but in the end, they should appreciate your honesty and candidness. While being upfront can help build trust and intimacy, being secretive can erode the friendship or relationship-- oftentimes irreparably.
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