Why Guy Friends Are Essential For Your Growth

Their Simplicity Works To Your Advantage.

In other words, they possess a healthy dose of no-f*cks-given that I quickly adopted. My guy friends taught me the key to simplicity and how to apply that practice in every area of my life. It's argued that men are simple and in this regard, it works to your favor. There's no fluff with guy friends because they simply don't have the capacity, or frankly the time, for it. When you ask a question, you get a direct answer.

Sometimes this directness comes in the form of unsolicited opinions on your outfit or harsh critiques on your favorite reality show. But other times, the times that matter, it becomes the wakeup call that your life needs to change, or that the man you love actually isn't in love with you. It's that ability to provide simple, resourceful answers to complex questions that add value to a guy friend.

That's a beautiful trait with guy friends: some of life's toughest questions have the simplest answer.

See Beyond Your Horizon.

My guy friends challenge me in a way my girlfriends don't because they aren't women. They don't understand the depths of my emotions at times, or the exact way I feel about a particular injustice. Instead, they saturate me with objective opinions on what I'm doing and how I'm acting. No placating, just real.

We never know what we don't know until we know it. That's why we explore the world, meet people from different cultures, and read literature about unknown parts. It's also why guy friends are imperative. To infiltrate the mentality and thought processes of the opposite gender is an extreme advantage available to everyone. It doesn't just influence your love life, either. You're opening your mind up to different ways of thinking regarding almost every activity in life. It's allowing you to see a better, fuller picture. It also helps to correct your insecurities and/or flaws.

You're challenging the best parts of you and fixing the worst parts. It's a lesson with an impossible rate of failure.

A Loyal Tribe.

Guy friends are encouraging, honest, and loyal. Once they decide to welcome you into the crew, that's it. As a direct result of the loyalty expressed from my guy friends, I became more confident in every area of my life. It was because of their unequivocal belief in my dreams that I began to believe too.

In friendship with guys, you have acquired a set of mirrors who will reflect who and what you are without judgment. They are truthful but never to a disconcerting degree. It's those traits that will help you to grow and be better, but inevitably, this process is not without fault. There will be times you have to explain the nuances of PMS, deconstruct the stereotypes they lazily throw about, or even take everyone to school on women's sports. But those times are overshadowed by the unequivocal support you get when the universe (or a lover) has destroyed your everything.

My guy friends, like my girl squad, make me feel comfortable. Although we communicate differently and I often feel neglected by their group chats, I understand the significance of our relationship.

It's okay that they don't understand how it feels to have period cramps, or what it means to birth a child; I don't need that from them. It's irrelevant when they've taught me how to challenge myself, how to think outside of the box society put me in, or how to love myself when no man can. As Rihanna said, that's what I came for.