Discussion '...who doesn't like to see their friends fail now and then.'

[Forever Sleep]

A line from 'Lord' Varys in Game of Thrones. Do you think it's true for you? It's a horrible thing to admit. We should want our friends to succeed- surely?

I imagine most people mostly want their friends to succeed although, perhaps to fail/ fall occassionally keeps us all relatable. I suppose too- it creates/ maintains a need for us as their friend. Maybe we fear that- if they become too successful/ fulfilled, they may not need us anymore. There's obviously the competetive element to it as well.

What do you think? What are your experiences?

 

[Mooncry]

I can't say I've ever wished for my friends to outright "fail." Not unless they were being completely stupid and not listening to reason, but that's more of me wanting to see them fuck around and find out so I can say I told you so lol.

 

[thehorizons]

I generally like my friends succeeding cause I view them as an extension of me in some sort of way (like them succeeding is me succeeding). I don't really care for those that aren't my friends or the people I don't like. But, I'm so numb to experiences these days, I'm just indifferent to everything really.

 

[NoPoint2Life]

I guess it depends where you are in life at the moment. Actually, it probably depends on all kinds of different circumstances.

When I was doing "well" I'll admit to laughing when someone close to me got divorced. But only because everything seemed to come so easy for them.
Now their daily grind has been just awful for years and I genuinely feel bad for them.

In high school I would have done the same If my closest friend had a fail. Lost touch for almost 30 years, caught up a bit by text last year and was genuinely happy She wound up in the field She had wanted to go back when we were in high school. And felt bad she was getting divorced.

My only friend now has a life that is shit and I would genuinely feel horrible if anything worse happened. I want happiness for her.

I think we all have jealousy and competitiveness in us to some extent. sometimes it just comes out more than others.