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That feeling when you outgrow a friendship but can't say it out loud

Feelings

Posted by @Prof M Álvarez

Nobody talks about this enough. You don't hate them. There was no big argument, no dramatic falling out. They're a good person. But somewhere along the way — you changed, they changed, or life just pulled you in completely different directions. And now every time you meet up, you're performing a version of a friendship that doesn't quite exist anymore. You talk about the past more than the present. Conversations feel like hard work. You leave feeling more drained than fulfilled. But you can't say it. Because how do you tell someone that you've outgrown them without it sounding cruel? How do you grieve a friendship that isn't technically over? So instead you let it fade quietly. Slower replies. Cancelled plans. Until one day you realise months have passed and neither of you tried very hard to close the gap. Has this happened to you? How did you handle it — or are you still carrying it?

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