Interpreting Relationships

The sure test to find out if a relationship/friendship is beneficial or detrimental for you is to judge whether the other person drags you down or lifts you up. If that person inspires in you a desire to be better than you are - wiser, kinder, more loving, etc. - then it is fairly safe to say that the relationship is a good one. If you find yourself acting in such a way that you would not want to be observed by those you love - if you turn into a lesser person when you are with the person in question, then the relationship is probably not a good one. It is pertinent to clarify that this aforementioned desire to be a better person should not be a feeling of insecurity or worthlessness; those feelings would rather be evidence of an unhealthy relationship. You should be content with who you are, sure of the other's affection for you, but yet be inspired always to be better.

In the past, this idea has served me well in interpreting personal friendships and those relationships of others.