A person whose words have been shown to contradict his or her actions is one you're better off without. Maybe it's the girlfriend who professes to love you but always misses your milestone moments.  The friend who talks up your being best buddies, but has been caught spreading lies about you. The co-worker who assures you that you can always count on them, but is furtively angling for your job. The truth is that it's not always easy to decipher people's real motives, especially when you don't know them that well. But once you observe on more than one occasion that their actions don't mirror their words, you ought to cast a wary eye.  People can make promises all they like, but if there's no action to back them up, it's evident they've got a penchant for disingenuousness. Don't be too quick to hand over your trust. We are much more apt to do this when the person in question is charming and charismatic.  A rule of thumb to go by: You don't real...

You shouldn't support a friend's every decision -- not when it involves their engaging in self-destructive behavior. That can range from doing drugs or stealing to cutting themselves. They say friends back each other up through thick and thin, but "backing up" doesn't mean endorsing the person's behavior if they're a danger to themselves or others. In such cases, you should get them the help they need to abandon such habits -- from family, other friends, neighbors, colleagues, a therapist, and so forth. By keeping your mouth shut and allowing your friend to continue such acts, you're enabling them. It makes you an accomplice who's every bit as guilty as your friend, even if you're not engaging in the same behavior. If you know they're doing things that can get them in serious trouble with the law and/or harm their well-being, try to convince them to stop. If that doesn't work, get the person's loved ones involved. When no ...