Do you feel burdened when a friend tells you something unpleasant?

Question

As in a secret or a bad part of their day? Do you find that you want to keep friends only to have good times and share good memories with? Do you think that friends should try to deal with their personal matters by themselves or in some other ways? Are you selective in the unplesant things you want to hear? If so, which ones do you not mind dealing with and which do you rather not touch? When they confess to you are you uncomfortable and do you make excuses to hang up on them?

Please be completely honest. It won't hurt. It's over the internet and it's anonymous anyhow.

Answer 1

No, when my friends tell me something unpleasant, I'm glad that they feel comfortable enough to confide in me.

I would never stop a person from telling me something, no matter how unpleasant. If they feel the need to tell me, it means that they need to get something off their chest, and I wouldn't want them to suffer with something they need to keep to themselves.

Answer 2

Not normally.  But I guess it all depends on the nature of the unpleasant news.  And no, I do not want just 'good-time-Charlie' friends.  They are a dime a dozen.  I want a friend who feels comfortable enough in sharing the unpleasant with me, confident enough that they can trust me, and in return, when I have something I need to talk about, I can do the same.  Only time I ever felt like, 'Too much information," was when I found out two of my very close friends were having an affair.  One of them was married.  Worse part was, I found out the wife had suspected an affair the whole time, but suspected it was me!!  (And no, they did nothing to promote this thought in her head, but I guess she kept accusing him of a relationship...she just assumed it was me.)  So it was a little uncomfortable to find out she was right...husband was having an affair...with my other friend.  Honestly, it made me not only uncomfortable, but a little miffed that they did not clear my name by just fessing up to the wife.  And also, I felt really bad for the wife.  I think it would have been better had I simply remained clueless.  FYI - I have never hung up on a friend.  Though if you are in some sort of awkward situation yourself, there is nothing wrong with simply TELLING your friend you are not comfortable with the conversation.  Honesty is always the best policy!!

Answer 3

yes I think about killing myself