True friends will give it to you straight whether you like it or not.
They won’t tell you what you want to hear. They’ll tell you what you NEED to hear. Because they know you inside and out and only want what’s best for you.
You know it, but it still makes you cringe sometimes.
But, we’ve got news that might just make you appreciate every ounce of tough love from your bestie.
A new study at the University of Plymouth found that people who insult their friends aren’t necessarily mean-spirited — they just want the insultee to benefit in the long run.
For the study, scientists surveyed 140 adults and asked them various hypothetical situations pertaining to everyday situations with their loved one.
According to Belén López-Pérez, a psychological scientist and author of the study, results of the testing revealed that those who were mean to their partners were more likely to be empathetic and to have a strong desire for their partners to succeed.
“We identified several everyday examples where this might be the case — for instance, inducing fear of failure in a loved one who is procrastinating instead of studying for an exam,” Pérez wrote.
“These findings shed light on social dynamics, helping us to understand, for instance, why we sometimes may try to make our loved ones feel bad if we perceive this emotion to be useful to achieve a goal.”
We all have that one friend… Please tag your tough love dishin’ bestie and SHARE by clicking the button below!