With National Friendship Day coming this Sunday, August 3rd, there is no better way to help my case for Better Male Friendships than by helping you determine if your friends are helping you become a better man. This post includes two tools to assess your current receptivity to making friends and to identify those for the type of friendship that I believe every man needs. Subsequent posts will detail how to create a better bond with another man you admire, how to deepen and “sharpen” each other, and how to turn a good friendship into the deeper, more authentic friendship that I call a GodBuddy.
Regardless of your religious or spiritual beliefs, these tools can help you because everyone needs better friendships. Boys and young males in particular are failing today. They need mature men who model how to navigate the challenges of adulthood by properly using their masculinity for the greater good, rather than the harmful and oppressive “toxic” traits that too many immature guys exhibit.
So, take this opportunity to use these tools to reflect on your circle of friends with courage, because the journey to becoming a better man starts with choosing the right people to walk beside you.
The Case for Better Friendships
As I summarized in my last post, I’ve made my case with external evidence about The Decline of Friendships, the fragile beauty of male friendship, and What’s Right About Young Men. I also provided internal evidence about My Work-Life “UN-balance” Story and struggle with workaholism that teetered on depression, which led to starting this blog about men helping men become better men. I then used excerpts from my book, Get Out of Your Man Cave: The Crisis of Male Friendships, about the traits that transform good friends into the deeper, more authentic friendship that I believe every man needs, which I call a GodBuddy.
Getting Practical About Better Friendships
As I stated in my last post, many experts believe we’re in an epidemic of lost friendships that needs a cure. But the cure is not more friends. It is deeper friendships. So, while there is no perfect path to better friendships, I can suggest ways to develop better friendships that help you live to a higher standard for manhood.
Here’s how to get started:
1. Determine Your Receptivity To Closer Friendships
The first step is to download this Relationship Self-Assessment tool to determine your receptivity to making friends. Not everyone is comfortable reaching out to someone they would like to befriend.
This tool will help you rate yourself on several categories to gain insight into your desire for closer friendships.
Simply download the PDF file by clicking on this link: Relational Self-Assessment
2. Assess Your Current Friendships
Next, complete the Friendship Assessment that will help you reflect on the topics you would discuss with your current friends, the frequency you talk, and the type of friend they are. This snapshot should give you an indication of who you might consider for a deeper, more authentic friendship.
Start by listing the people whom you deem your closest friends. Then take time to reflect on the types of discussions you have with them and how frequently you talk or meet. Assign a “Friend Type” to each on the list. It will help you determine the depth and authenticity of those relationships. You may see one man on the list with whom you have the most commonalities.
Click on this link to download the PDF file: Friendship Assessment
The Next Step to Better Friendships
Now that you have checked your receptivity to making friends and assessed your current friendships, I will describe ways to create and maintain better friendships in the next few posts.
Even if you do not have a religious or spiritual foundation, everyone needs better friendships. My next post will help you identify potential GodBuddies, which are the deeper, more authentic friendships that help you become a more godly man. Subsequent posts will help you find a bond with another man, deepen and sharpen each other, and provide ways to strengthen your friendships.
So, stay with me for more practical ways to develop better friendships.
Feel free to comment or forward this to someone who needs better friendship. You can also purchase a copy of my book, Get Out of Your Man Cave, from Amazon or directly from me for a signed copy or bulk purchase for your men’s group by clicking here.
[Feature Photo created by ChatGPT]
