Had a bad fight with a close friend

[Jack Falco]

Hello. I had a really bad argument with a close friend for almost 10 years and all started with him wanting me to support a post he put online which was really strongly worded about his covid views and I wasn’t comfortable to. It’s really made me sad

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[onlinecommunity]

Hi @Jack Falco, welcome to the forums. We’re sorry to hear that you’re experiencing such intense sadness over the argument with your close friend. And we’re also grateful that you’ve shared your story with us here because you’ve expressed a type of grief that seems to be happening more and more…Grief brought on by the loss of friendships due to differing views around COVID and its impacts.

Your sadness is understandable – not only is your relationship strained but the situation may have led you to question whether you really knew your friend all along, and even whether you can continue to be their friend. These sorts of questions are very challenging and call on us to consider our own values and boundaries. You have shown considerable strength of character with your refusal to support his post and staying true to your values is something you can be proud of.

Showing empathy to your friend would also show strength of character. Here’s a link to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald which you may find helpful; ‘I feel like I’m mourning’: Can friendships broken in the pandemic be repaired?’. The writer, Rachael Dexter reminds us that “people’s moods are a bit frayed [at the moment] and they can become more angry or explosive…you may not be seeing who they are deep down – it may be that you’re seeing them in a really tough position’. She goes on to suggest, “you don’t have to finish the conversation …you can say – lets come back in a few months and see where we’re at.”

We feel like this could be good advice in this situation and we hope this is helpful. Please keep in touch and let us know whether you think it might work for you. We are here for you. 🌸

[Author]

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