How to handle friends who don't get along anymore?

General Tech Learning Aids/Tools 2 years ago

0 2 0 0 0 tuteeHUB earn credit +10 pts

5 Star Rating 1 Rating

Posted on 16 Aug 2022, this text provides information on Learning Aids/Tools related to General Tech. Please note that while accuracy is prioritized, the data presented might not be entirely correct or up-to-date. This information is offered for general knowledge and informational purposes only, and should not be considered as a substitute for professional advice.

Take Quiz To Earn Credits!

Turn Your Knowledge into Earnings.

tuteehub_quiz

Answers (2)

Post Answer
profilepic.png
manpreet Tuteehub forum best answer Best Answer 2 years ago

 

Background:

I have 3 very good friends who we'll call A, B and C. We all got along very well together and decided to live together in a 4 bedroom house. In the months running up to finding somewhere to live and moving in together, person B and C started seeing each other and are now in an open relationship, which upsets person A because they have had an interest in person B for a while. This has lead to person A and C disliking and avoiding each other while living together.

Person A likes to organize occasional short vacations and events (and organized everything to do with the house) but has more recently started making a point of not inviting person C and not consulting them when making communal decisions about the house, which clearly irritates them. Sometimes on a large scale of 10-20 people, but more commonly around 2-5. They recently invited me to come on a trip with person B, but without person C, and I'm unsure if I should come or not. Although person A and B have gone on long and far vacations together before all this happened.

I have heard person B saying that they are only interested in A as a friend. I find talking about it to person B an impossible option, as they are the kind of person who tries to get along with everyone and would rather hide under a blanket than face a problem. I think it's because of this personality that A is still after B. I have also heard person C say they still really like person A as a friend after the 'breakup' and I typically find them the more reasonable of the two, although I am unsure if they still hold this view.

I have before managed to diffuse a lot of conflicts between A and C in the past before they turn into arguments, usually with comedy, but don't know how to solve the problem in the long term. We are not entirely satisfied with the location of our house and may move out at some point. I'm worried that when this happens that we will end up going our separate ways.

There are many more factors and complications which may be relevant but I hope you understand that I'm trying to summarize an exceptionally complex relationship into a 5 minute read without confusing the issue.

Question:

I'm concerned that if I go on trips without C then they will think I'm on A's side and if I don't then A will think I'm on C's side. How do I avoid this dilemma and are there any alternative solutions?

profilepic.png
manpreet 2 years ago

 

I shared a house once with a couple, and sometimes felt that decisions were being made without me. C has a valid perspective on the house stuff. On the other hand, social stuff like vacations needn't automatically involve everybody; that couple did stuff without me and that was fine because, hey, they're a couple. In larger households that I've seen up close, subsets of people do stuff as friends and that's fine.

You need to separate "house stuff" and "social stuff".

Somebody needs to tell A that making plans for the house, like parties, without involving everyoneisn't ok. It sounds like A won't be receptive to C, so that leaves you and B. You're asking the question here and are interested in fixing the problem, so it makes sense for you to try.

To avoid A feeling ganged-up on, I recommend starting with a conversation just between the two of you. You say something like "Hey A, I know you and C are having some difficulties, but we need to include everybody when planning parties and stuff. Can we find a way to do that?" Then listen. If A doesn't want to have to be in the same room as C, you can suggest approaches that don't involve getting together in person to decide. Maybe you don't need discussions so much as advance notice, or advance notice with a way to object. But you need to move the conversation from "A doesn't like C" to "the four of us need a way to not get in each other's way on this stuff", so the more quickly you can get to problem-solving mode, the better.

Social stuff like vacations or going out to dinner or whatever is different. If the four of you always do everything together, then A trying to cut C out is going to be disruptive. If you don't do everything together now, then you don't need to feel bad about doing stuff with C and not A -- or A and not C. Areyou doing stuff with A? If not, is A feeling left out by that, and "you're doing stuff with C" is masking that? If you want to be the peacemaker, you're going to need to spend some time doing stuff with A without C, partly to validate the "we don't all have to do everything" model and mostly to make A feel better.

Finally, sometimes good friends don't make good housemates or vice-versa. Your household might break up. That doesn't have to mean the end of friendships. I'm still friends with those housemates I mentioned even though I moved out of that house.


0 views   0 shares

No matter what stage you're at in your education or career, TuteeHub will help you reach the next level that you're aiming for. Simply,Choose a subject/topic and get started in self-paced practice sessions to improve your knowledge and scores.