7 Signs Your Friend Doesn't Respect You

What does friendship mean to you?

We all have our expectations and standards when it comes to the friends we choose, but common underlying factors tend to be honesty, respect, loyalty, and trust.

So what happens if you’re in a friendship where you feel like the respect has gone (or was never there to start with)?

Is your friend intentionally disrespecting you or are they just going through a rough patch in their lives?

We’ll be looking at the top signs to look out for and what you can do if you think your friendship has taken a turn for the worst.

# They’re jealous of you and your successes

When something good happens to us, the first thing we tend to do is call up our friends and loved ones to share the happy news.

But if your friend isn’t genuinely glad to hear about your achievements, regardless of how small or big they are, it’s a sign that they don’t have your best interests at heart.

Instead of celebrating with you, you’ll feel them acting withdrawn or even commenting negatively on your good news – two very obvious signs they don’t respect you.

# The friendship is very one-sided

Do you ever feel like you do everything to keep the friendship going?

Perhaps you go out of your way all the time for your friend but they never do the same in return?

I used to give my (ex) friend a lift home all the time, agreed to meet wherever he wanted, and would always help him out if he had a problem.

But I remember numerous times asking for a favor in return, or a lift when my car broke down, and he was never free to give me a hand.

It was the ultimate sign of disrespect, not to mention selfishness. I only wish I had recognized these signs sooner, but it’s never too late to learn who your true friends are.

# They don’t have your back

A real friend will defend you even when you aren’t around.

But a friend who doesn’t have any respect for you won’t care enough to stick up for you – they might even join in on all the gossiping and backbiting.

A sign that this is your friend is if they’re always creating drama and telling you what others say about you behind your back.

Why?

Because if they did have your back – other people wouldn’t gossip to them about you.

It’s only because they encourage or take part in it that they seem to know all the crap people say about you.

# They never apologize or acknowledge their behavior

The fact that you’re reading this article indicates that something is up with your friendship – maybe your friend has hurt you a few times now and you’re wondering if it’s normal?

Well, the good news is that there will be challenging or hurtful times even in the best of friendships…

But most people apologize for their mistakes and work hard to rebuild trust again.

The bad news is that if your friend has never apologized for the way they treat you or hurt you – whether intentional or not – they certainly don’t have any respect for you or your feelings.

# They don’t respect your boundaries

Boundaries are essential in every relationship – with family, friends, and partners.

Your boundaries are your values, they tell people around you what you care about, what you’re willing to put up with, and what isn’t okay for you.

Without them, people would walk all over you and take advantage of your time and energy.

For example, you make it clear that punctuality is important to you.

Yet every time you meet, they’re ridiculously late and never care to apologize or change this habit to respect you.

You’ll know your friend has very little respect for you if they constantly cross those boundaries and refuse to acknowledge your feelings.

And, they might even go as far as blaming you by saying you’re acting “difficult” just because you’re trying to stick to what feels best for you.

# They’re dishonest

What is the most important part of any relationship?

Trust.

Without it, how can you rely on your friend, trust them with your business, and know that they’ll never try to deceive you?

Even though trust isn’t black and white and there may be times where good friends make mistakes – a friend who is always dishonest with you isn’t a true friend.

By repeatedly abusing your trust in them by lying to you, it shows that they don’t feel any remorse for their dishonesty and they don’t respect your right to know the truth.

# They can’t stick to their promises

And another aspect of not being trustworthy is if your friend can’t stick to their word.