5 kind of friends who quietly shape us in our 20s

Your twenties can be a bit of a strange period of your life; one moment, we feel like we have figured out everything; the next slight inconvenience makes us question every decision we have ever made. In the middle of all the uncertainty of our lives, friendships quietly become one of the important parts.

Not every friend plays the same role; in different stages, different people add value in our lives. Some friends comfort us, some challenge us, and some just remind us of who we used to be. As we grow older, we begin to notice that the people around us have so much impact on our perspective more than we realise.

The right friendship can change the trajectory of our lives. Many of us gradually come to understand that we need five types of friends in our twenty’s era.

Rooted in reality

The first is what we might call 'The Grounded One.' This is the friend who is going to tell you the truth even if it is uncomfortable. They are usually the ones who has known us since our childhood days, someone who has seen different stages and versions of us before we became who we are now.

They know our patterns, our struggles, and our habits. We all need a person who can gently remind us when we are making the wrong choice, when we are losing ourselves while impressing others, or when our ego is taking over our decision.

The honesty may sting a little, but it often saves us from much bigger mistakes later. People often avoid awkward conversations to keep things easy and comfortable.

Walking the same path

The next one is The Fellow Dreamer. The one who has a similar dream or career path to ours, who understands the pressure, the uncertainty, and the overthinking because they are experiencing the same thing.

It is very important to not feel envy with each other instead of celebrating each other’s small wins, motivating one another during difficult times and reminding ourselves that success is not a race and everyone has their own time to achieve something. Some journeys become bearable simply because we are not walking alone.

Outside the box

Sometimes staying inside a small circle for too long can limit us so much, and that is where The Outsider steps into our lives.

This is the friend whose world looks completely different from ours. Maybe they study and work in a field which we barely come across or live a lifestyle that is far more different from our everyday routine. From the first glance, it could look a little common, but usually these friendships show us the most unexpected perspective.

We start living in a bubble when we spend too much time around people who have the same career and think like us. The friend who is outside my path can help us break the bubble. They remind us how we can choose different ways to live, how the definition of success can be different and how sometimes we can approach different paths for happiness.

The pressure of our own environment makes us overwhelmed sometimes; in that situation, a person completely outside of it can bless us with the best device.

Reality checks

Another equally important one is The Bigger Picture, friend. This is someone who is slightly older, someone who has already experienced phases that we are currently dealing with. They act like mentors subconsciously, without trying to be one.

In our twenties, we often feel rushed. We panic over literally everything, like careers, relationships, timelines and money we created for ourselves. Having someone who already survived this uncertainty can reassure you, "Everything is going to work out in the end.” It also reminds us that every setback is not permanent and delay does not mean failure.

Trailblazer

And finally, there is The Explorer. It is one of the most uncomfortable yet transformative friendships of all.

This is the friend who often pushes us out of our daily routine. They introduce us to unfamiliar places, explore unfamiliar ideas, and experience things we would try to avoid on our own. They challenge our opinions, question our assumptions of certain things and teach us to see the world from different lenses.

At first, this friendship can make you feel intimidated because we do not feel comfortable with growth usually. But as time passed by, we began to realise how important it is to keep those people in our lives who help us to expand our minds instead of validating the things we already believe.

The more we grow, the more we understand that friendship is not just about just hanging out together. It is more about who helps us during our tough times, who keeps us grounded, and who gives us reminders to discover more things about ourselves.

Maybe that is the beauty of our twenties. We are not just trying to figure out the kind of person we want to become but also what kind of people we want to share the journey with.