Why I HATE Friend Groups...

I actually prefer one-on-one friendships. Groups can seem fun but in the end, I enjoy that personal connection.

This isn’t just bully behavior It’s mean-spirited

I can't even fathom choosing friends based on how they'd look in Instagram photos. What planet are we living on bro 😭I always make sure my closest friends know that I do truly love them and will always be there for them if nobody else is. I couldn't imagine having friends for any other reason than just genuinely loving them 🥺

I'm in a large friendgroup and I think the key to why there's no bad blood is accepting that there are little groups inside the group. Like it's 4 guys and 6 girls, it's normal that sometimes we hangout separately! I'm in a mini group of 3 girls and most of the time we hang just us or with 1 or 2 guys, the other 3 girls hang just them, often I hang with just one of the girls and the guys hang together. Everyone also has their separate lives and friends that are just theirs. But very often we all get together and do something as this large group. And we update each other on stuff we did separately, like trips etc. I swear the moment you accept that this many people can't all be equally close to each other life becomes so much better

Sometimes it feels like we’re the booty part of the vegetable that nobody wants but real friends will make you feel like the ripest part of the shit. hope this makes sense im fried.

Friends group in general always has someone being overlooked or under appreciated🤷🏾‍♂️. I think a lot of people just show favoritism and pick favorites. I’ve seen some people be a great friend to people who could careless about them . But show indifference to people who validate them or make them feel seen and appreciated. It definitely backwards😭💯. And most people are only your friends due to convenience , proximity and what you have materially . Biggest thing between a genuine and fake friend is consistency. Soon as I see any inconsistencies in behaviors , communication and or approach I’m done . As an adult I give one chance . Most people have to realize alot of people aren’t your friends you just cross paths with them .

Toxic ppl like toxic ppl. Same way misery likes company. They'll always find each other, and only value the same views

I think a lot of people go into friendships thinking, I can be friends with anyone, but that’s not the case. Similar to romantic relationships, you need to vet your friendships for reciprocity and interest. Everyone doesn’t need to be a close friend, and some people don’t need to be friends at all.

I think being friends with people who actually share your interests and understand you help, as a fellow “weird girl” I click better with other “weird girls” than others who people describe as “normal”

I'm 25, I stopped trying to make friends at 15,it's just not worth it, I was always the weird one, the one that's too poor to do what they want to do,the one they'd gossip about. My youngest brother,15, is my best friend,it might sound pathetic, but I couldn't care less. I'm weird,he's weird,and we accept each other just the way we are.

Me as a late bloomer, extremely sheltered and most of my friendships existed out of convenience and the fact that I actually listen to people. Nobody listens back tho, and apparently my emotions are to big but everybody loves the big smiles, big smiles come from big tears 😮‍💨 so I just mind my business these days lol I’m turning 30 in three weeks. My cares are becoming less obsessive

They're inviting "friends" on international trips to harm them. Suddenly the "friend" is missing or winds up unalived. 👀 Watch out!

i think friendgroups become healthy and fun when every friend can be in room 1-1 without it being awkward lol..

Falling away from a friend group is one thing, but it's a whole other level to push a friend out of your group and then celebrate what you did online. I can 99% promise you that these types of people will probably not be friends with each other in a few years. These are unkind, cruel people and true friendship is not on the radar for them

I've always noticed the fakest ppl are the ones with the biggest social circle. Authentic makes ppl uncomfortable because it reminds them how performative they are. Boundaries mean less ppl are going to be able to use you & therefore they have no use for you. Having strong values means you're gonna tolerate less & call out more. The realest ppl are often the ones who stay to themselves & end up valuing loyalty, authenticity & kindness way more than everyone else.

Word of advice: Learn to walk away from friend groups when you feel out of place or disrespected! I had a “friend group” for about a year in college. One time, I was talking to one of them, trying to explain how crazy my week had been, and the girl literally said, “Sorry,” then turned around and started talking to someone else. Ouch. My breaking point came when I joined the group for lunch one day. They were all in the middle of their own side conversations, and I said, “Hey guys,” twice. I kid you not, NO ONE acknowledged me. They all continued their one-off convos, and I never spoke to them again after that lunch. What made it sting even more was that my alma mater is a tiny private school, so I eventually had classes with some of these people or saw them daily while walking to my next class. Sure, it got lonely, but I will NEVER let myself be disrespected like that again for the sake of “not being a loner” or “having a friend group.” And yes, I've discussed this in therapy <3

I am neurodivergent and have severe anxiety. I've never quite been able to determine if my difficulties speaking were due to the anxiety, or if being isolated and bullied caused the anxiety in the first place. I think it's the latter, because I remember being a loud, outgoing child before I started school. I was always the "weird" kid that no one wanted around. My first "friendships" were in middle-school, and it was horrible to watch that friend group pass notes, attend sleepovers, and laugh together without ever inviting me to join in. My so-called best-friend even went out of her way to switch classes in order to be with the others instead of me. It all really impacted my self-esteem. Then there was the highschool/adult friend group, where they'd come to my house for game night because I had a big table and snacks, but they'd direct condescending and degrading little comments at me, as if they expected it to go over my head. Well, it didn't. I always found out about their parties and events the day after through FB. By this time I wholeheartedly hated human beings, myself included. It's easy to tell myself I'm the common denominator and deserve this lack of friendship. But the fact is, I am an unusual person, but I've never been a mean person. People just see difference and reject you because of the difference itself, rather than any real flaw in your character. Now I'm 33, and through the miracle of the internet I have found a few individuals who genuinely like and appreciate me. They make me feel good about myself. They're loyal and invite me places. They don't make disparaging comments or laugh behind my back. They all understand neurodivergence, and are themselves "different." This is new to me, but it has already made a huge difference in my self confidence and social skills. I wholeheartedly agree that friend groups suck for the least-liked friend, but it's also about finding those rare people with open-minds and decent characters. The friendships I had in school were a matter of proximity, not genuine shared interests or meaningful communication. So if this is you right now, don't give up on people just yet. It can and does get better.

The issue is that people have been convinced by social media and the American culture that they are the main character and that self-centeredness, vanity, and being inconsiderate are all virtues. Unfortunately a lot of people are not able to recognize a good solid person when they are in their life and they too easily discard them. Solid people actually stand in opposition to our culture of vanity and self-importance, they are considerate and are always thinking of others, in our society, despite this being very needed, this is oftentimes seen as weakness and people will absolutely take advantage of it. I’ve found that despite me realizing this, it is important to keep being you. Don’t let our toxic and sick culture turn you into a toxic and sick person. The world needs you more than you feel in the moment. The best thing you can do for yourself is to find others like you

i don't mind being in groups, the problem is that in the US, groups are too hyper-individualistic and not community oriented, which is why it's important to have boundaries in groups because if people keep negatively gossiping, victim blaming, gaslighting, manipulating, scapegoating, and bullying others in groups, then this loneliness epidemic is only going to keep getting worse

I had to exit a few friend groups because I couldn't afford dinner and drinks every week. What happened to just hanging out at someone's house? I even suggested some free/cheap ideas, like a potluck picnic, and people stared at me like I had a second head. Purposely trying to cultivate friendships with working class people like me from now on, because there's nothing more depressing than no one wanting to hangout with you because you're not in their income bracket.