Are friend circles life-lasting connections? Or are they simply temporary cycles of old friends for a chance to make new ones? Is their approval an individual’s sole reliance on attaining self-confidence, or rather a form of reliable company? What is there to know about good vs. bad intentions, to trust or to not, how much to share, what to say —all pivotal questions that provide an extended challenge to self-identity. How far along someone is in their personal journey can be greatly considered by their interactions between people. What is the beauty of having friends, and the beauty of having to let some go?

In a young teenage mindset, the concept of friends sinks no deeper than people who (cross-your-fingers) will tell you the right shirt to buy, take the best Instagram pictures, and be a go-to beach buddy. There is an understanding that not all friendships at a young age should be all too serious. Experiencing drama, betrayal, and change are valuable questions that confront a personal answer. All people experience moments of stupidity, and as teenagers, all too frequent. The response is difficult, it is feared because it is always indirect and constantly redefined. The important part of it is being able to identify repeated patterns in someone’s behavior. Pulling them apart, recognizing them, and not being afraid to relearn them. People should have a limit for the number of times the “sorry pass” will be valid through the same show.

In truth, what is fun anyways? All too certain there is no midpoint of “fun” when spending time with people that never once seem to make it that way. Fun people are the ones you can have fun with through the lowest, highest, and most mediocre of your days, and still manage to get through it all. “Through thick and thin,” isn’t that the cutesy phrase all teens use in the birthday paragraph to their bestie?

How much should one ask for? Standards vary throughout each and every individual. There is no rulebook to one’s own quality-control process. And that’s exactly where common sense should kick in. How much input and output one gives and receives should be in mutual respect to the other person. Treat others equally. Don’t blur the lines of interpretation between respect and utter manipulation. For sophomore Ella Avital, “those who are kind to others they don’t know” is an immediate prize-winning attribute.

Relationships of any kind are not any easy feat. There is an abundance of what-ifs, lows and highs, and all sorts of questioning that factor into a commitment. Ironically in all seriousness, don’t make it so serious. Loosen up and truly focus on the people that pertain to the true gem of genuity. Truth be told, “be yourself” is the new cool.