What to do about flaky friends?

Dear Reader, 

Navigating changes in friendships can be tricky — especially when the changes feel like they’re pushing you apart versus bringing you closer. It’s not always easy to understand motives for other people’s behaviors, either. It sounds like you have been thinking a lot about the dynamics in your friendships. Considering different reasons for why a person acts the way they do may allow you to adjust expectations and actions moving forward. It could ultimately help you feel like you’re not always waiting for a no show. 

There can be a lot of reasons behind “flaky” behavior. Often, individual perception of certain personality traits (such as flakiness) is very subjective — perhaps you view your friend(s) as unreliable, but they don’t see themselves as that way. Keeping an open mind may be helpful when learning about the various internal and external factors that are affecting their behavior, as well as the differing definitions that they could have for certain subjective traits. Is it possible that they view making plans and keeping them differently from you? Have they ever communicated any factors that are out of their control that impact their ability to do what they say they will? There may be many reasons at play that you’re unaware of that are causing your friend(s) to be frequently late or not follow through on plans. 

It also sounds like you may have already tried some different ways of confronting friend(s) regarding their behavior. Have you considered whether the value of this friendship outweighs the stress or disappointment as a result of their behavior? Do they ever apologize to you when they’re late or don’t show up? Do they treat you different when you’re alone compared to when you’re with others? Answering these questions may help you decide whether you want to cut ties with someone you have known for a long time or not. Eliminating the unpleasant friendship dynamic can alleviate unpleasant feelings and make room for more positive relationships. 

If you do want to continue to work on the friendship, here are some suggestions you may want to consider for both conversations you can have and ways to adjust your own behavior and expectations. 

• Communicate openly and directly. If you haven’t already, open the lines of communication about the behavior that is hurtful or feels disrespectful. What specific actions are bothering you? How do they make you feel? One way to begin this kind of talk is by saying “I want to talk about something that feels hard/upsetting/hurtful/etc. for me.” A clear way to tell your friend how you feel specifically might be to say, “I feel undervalued when you don’t show after telling me that you will be somewhere.” 
• Base your expectations on what you know. If your friend is consistently late or often doesn’t follow through on plans, try expecting those behaviors the next time the two of you discuss hanging out. If they text you saying they’re on their way, assume they will likely be late or may not show and continue what you’re doing until they show up.  
• Let go of what you can’t control and focus on what you can. You could try adopting a nonchalant attitude to what the friend says and try to not be surprised if they continue their pattern of flaking out at the last minute. This may take some time to adopt, but sometimes the only behavior within your control is doing your best to let the other person know how you feel and not engaging in repetitive scenarios that feel hurtful or negative. 
• Spend time with friends that follow through. Investing in those who do keep their word may be a way you enjoy spending time. You may naturally fall out of touch with those who can’t follow through on invitations and plans. 
• Ask yourself if you still want to continue with the friendship. If you friend's behavior continues, you may decide that ending the friendship is the best option for you. It is okay to say to someone “I consistently feel hurt by how you treat me/show up late/don’t follow through, and I don’t feel this friendship is healthy for me anymore.”  Breaking up with “friends” is not easy, but it could be a good option if it helps make room in your life for those whose meet up habits are more in line with yours. 

Many relationships, friendship and otherwise, shift as people get older and other areas of their life also change. It sounds like some of your current friendships are highlighting qualities that are high up on your list of traits in a healthy friendship for you. While often emotionally challenging in the moment, cultivating skills to be able to sift through unpleasant dynamics may allow energy and space in your life to focus on what makes you feel valued. 

Hope this helps!