Source: Pexels/Reddit
Making friends as an adult is outrageously difficult. Breaking up with friends as an adult is a whole other can of worms.
What is the best approach to letting someone down easy that you’re not romantically involved with?
One girl recently sought wisdom on Reddit for exactly this.
Here are the details.
I (20F) became friends with this girl (19F) in February 2025 because we were lab partners and didn’t know anyone else in the program.
Let me preface this story with the fact that she has 0 healthcare experience and I have 4 years working as a tech/CNA in different healthcare settings.
At first, it seemed fine we had some chemistry and stuck together since we were both headed into nursing.
The first group of friends you make somewhere new rarely sticks together.
Pretty quickly though, it became clear we weren’t on the same wavelength.
She always prioritized her boyfriend, which didn’t bother me too much, but then she started mocking things I did while also copying me.
She got the exact same stethoscope, the same badge reel, the same pens, and constantly asks where I get everything from.
She joins the same clubs I want to join.
It feels like I can’t get time away from her because she insists on doing everything I do but then turns around and tries to correct me about stuff in a rude way.
This does sound like typical 19-year-old behavior.
On top of that, some of her comments make me uncomfortable.
She’s said things like “old people are gross” (…we’re going into nursing??), and during our orientation she made fun of the way people looked or even their names.
That’s when I knew I didn’t actually want to be friends with her, but I stuck it out until we hit fundamentals.
Yikes, these are the types of friends that drag you down.
Now we’re in class, and the thing pushing me over the edge is her nonstop pen clicking.
It’s loud, distracting, and makes it impossible for me to focus.
I asked her politely to stop, and she brushed me off “I can’t help it.”
These two have clearly spent way too much time together.
Also every time we’re together we only talk for a few minutes and then it’s just silent, but when i’m with my other friends we can talk and talk for hours on end!
At this point I’m irritated with her overall.
The copying, the rude comments, the pen clicking, but I don’t want to look like TA for calling her out?
Seems like a classic case of friendship incompatibility. Let’s see if Reddit agreed.
A few commenters cut right to the chase.
Some encouraged taking the high road.
Others asked the important questions.
One person had no sympathy for the original poster.
And another went completely scorched Earth.
Doesn’t sound like this friendship’s lifeline is getting revived.
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