Why It's Important To Tell Your Friends When They're Making You Uncomfortable

When you're in a group of friends, it can be hard to know when someone's being hurtful. You might be aware that someone is saying something hurtful, but you don't know why. It's like they're just doing it because they feel like they have the right to say whatever they want. Sometimes they're just being funny, and sometimes they're just being themselves. But if you've ever felt weirded out by something your friend said or did in front of others, then you know how much it sucks to have no idea what's going on.

When you're in that situation, it can be hard to know what to do. You might feel like you're being judged, or that the people around you don't understand how you feel. But there's one thing that can help: telling your friends.

When you're uncomfortable, it's easy to feel like you have to keep quiet about it. You might not want to hurt their feelings or make them feel bad about themselves. But if you don't tell them, then they won't know that they're making someone else feel uncomfortable, and they may not understand what they've done wrong. But always remember that it's totally okay to tell someone when they're making you feel uncomfortable! It's always better when people know how to treat each other with respect, so if someone is being rude or hurtful, they'll learn that being rude and hurting people is wrong in the future.

You have a right to feel comfortable around your friends and family, and no one should ever make you feel uncomfortable in any way. If someone is making you feel uncomfortable or upset, tell them that.  But even if they don't change their behavior? Even if they just apologize? That's still super important! Because we can't always change other people's minds or actions (and we shouldn't want to), but we can control our own reactions and attitudes toward other people.

But even if you don't want to tell your friends that they made you uncomfortable, the next time they do it—and the time after that—you'll be glad that you had the courage to speak up. It's important for everyone to know when others are feeling uncomfortable around them (or around anyone else). And when our friends know how we feel, we can stop ourselves from acting in ways that make us feel more self-conscious or uncomfortable than we already do.

When we tell our friends about an issue we have with them, it helps them understand that what we're saying isn't just about this one time—it also represents a larger goal: our desire for safety and comfort around them. By letting them know what's happening in a relationship-specific way (instead of just saying "you make me uncomfortable"), we're showing them how much their behavior matters to us, which helps them respect our boundaries and makes sure that no one is ever making anyone else feel bad about themselves or their choices.

It can be incredibly painful when someone we care about makes us feel uncomfortable—but knowing that they're doing it intentionally can help us understand why they're behaving that way, and make sure it doesn't happen again in the future.

So don't be afraid of telling your friends when they make you uncomfortable! It's better for everyone involved: You get peace of mind and a better sense of self-esteem; your friends learn how not to offend people; and the world at large learns how important it is for people who are feeling uncomfortable.

After all, if everyone knew how often this happens between friends, we'd all be much happier.