5 Signs You’ve Outgrown Your Friendship

As humans, we’re constantly growing and changing, which can be painful sometimes. Have you ever found yourself becoming distant from someone you used to be friends with? Whether it be due to different life goals, ever-changing personalities, or a location change, it’s never easy to let someone go. Yet sometimes, it’s inevitable. However, outgrowing a friendship is also a sign of you getting more mature, pursuing your own goals, and knowing what you’re looking for in a friend. While it’s definitely sad, it’s completely natural and can even be a good thing in the long run. Knowing this, here are 5 signs you’ve outgrown your friendship.    

1. Your values conflict  

As you go through life and gain new experiences, chances are your values and morals will change. We often tend to seek friends with similar beliefs, so if you find you no longer agree with what your friend does, it may be a sign you’ve outgrown them. Of course, don’t stop being friends with someone just because you disagree about something, but if it’s a fundamental disagreement about something you’re truly passionate about, you may find yourself wanting to spend time with like-minded people. 

2. You don’t spend time together anymore   

Simply put, when you like someone enough, you always try to make time for them. If you two find yourselves constantly making excuses to not hang out, it may be a sign you no longer enjoy each other’s company. Your interests, sense of humor, or personalities may have changed into things less compatible with each other’s. While it’s painful to go through, it’s a sign you’ve outgrown your friendship and are seeking friends who complement and balance you more.    

3. You don’t tell each other everything   

As cliché as it sounds, friends often do tell each other everything. If you’re holding back from telling your friend something due to fear of getting criticized or them not understanding, it’s probably a sign you’re not comfortable around them. Friendship is based upon mutual trust, communication, and respect, so if you find yourself becoming wary of your friend, it’s likely time to try to move on. After all, everyone deserves to have someone they can confide in without fear of judgment or shame.   

4. Things don’t feel natural with them anymore   

Friendship is all about having an emotional connection with someone. If you two loose that connection over time, your conversations might become dull, you’ll have less energy around them, and tension between you will increase. In the end, a friendship should make you happy and be enjoyable, so if it isn’t, you may want to look into meeting some new people.   

5. If you met them today, you likely wouldn’t be friends   

Think back to who you were five years ago. Chances are, you’re a completely different person with new hobbies, personality traits, and goals than you were before. You’ve evolved and changed, which means the people that you want around you have likely changed too. If you met your friend as the person you are today, would you two still be compatible? If the answer is no and you can’t imagine befriending a stranger like them, you’ve probably moved past the friendship. After all, sometimes, the only thing connecting two people is their past together. 

The process of outgrowing friends and finding new people is never-ending, as all of us are constantly changing. Knowing this, you don’t have to blame yourself for drifting apart from a friend. While both people can make their best effort to maintain a friendship, it’s common for people to slowly grow distant. It’s completely natural and normal, so you’re not alone. If anything, it means you’re evolving to become a more balanced and mature version of yourself!    

Are you currently experiencing a change in friends? If so, how is it going? Don’t give up, for you will definitely find new people to become friends with. If not, what are your friends like right now? Feel free to leave any of your comments, feedback, or experience!