In fact, the person who is always the listener is really playing the role of a counselor, not a friend. Anytime you have been talking for more than a minute or two without participation from the person you are talking to, you are lecturing, bossing, or putting that person in the role of a counselor. Loyalty, Equality, and Respect build friendship. Friends are equal. Without equality, you can't have a close friendship.
Friends are loyal and trustworthy.
Friends have similar values. Our value system is so important to us that our friends' values must be close to our own or we will not have respect for this friend. How to get closer to the people you care for by Alan Loy McGionnis We all know people who have countless friends. The author writes that at the heart of each relationship is the friendship factor and that factor is the essential ingredient of warmth and caring. The author gives you five ways to deepen all of your relationships, five guidelines for cultivating intimacy, and two ways to handle negative emotions without destroying the relationship.