If You Want To know Who Your True Friend Is, look at Their Left Eye

This week on Thursday I attended a career talk convened at Serena Hotel in Kampala where Dr. Robert Burale an inspirational and motivational speaker was invited to speak to over 300 people. He made this statement during his talk; If you want to know who your true friend is, look at their left eye when you share your good news with them. The truth is always hidden in their immediate reaction and the left eye wont hide it. As funny as it sounds this got me thinking about the different occasions I have shared good news but noticed “friends” who did not clap. Well, I am very careful about who I call a friend now that is why I have very few of them. My expectations from people who are not in my inner circle are very low that is why I am usually less disappointed with those who are evidently not happy for me when I win.

On my birthday this year, I published my first book and I was excited about that so I posted it on my WhatsApp status. One of my acquaintances, who I am clearly being careful not to call a friend, came into my inbox and asked me “Did you author a book”? to which I answered, yes. That was the end of the conversation, there was no congratulations let alone a fake emoji to express any emotion from him. It got me thinking; was he merely in doubt or in utter shock that I had actually authored a book and therefore needed to confirm from the horse’s mouth? Anyway I did not allow myself to dwell on that too long but I wish I had seen his physical reaction. Probably the clarity I needed was in his left eye but I couldn't see that through a chat on the phone.

You will agree with me that we have all had people we call “friends” in our lives but they are not really our friends. They can pretend to be happy when you succeed but deep down they are jealous and wish they were the ones in your shoes receiving whatever is going great in your life. You must have enough emotional intelligence not to deceive yourself with their “friendship”. These will be the same people talking ill about you behind your back while they laugh and smile with you. Be very wary of opening up and sharing your plans or sacred and private information with them because you might as well be sharing it with your worst enemy (frenemy).

Proverbs 18:24 says; One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

We all need genuine friends in our lives who will stand by us in the good and bad times but I can assure you that these will not be many because they are hard to find. I am so lucky to have one. A person with 10 best friends is most likely not very keen on that left eye because among them, there will be a handful who will not be clapping when you win.

I am a firm believer that it is not the number of friends that matters but the quality of the friendship. I would rather have one true friend who is loyal than rejoice with 10 fake “best friends”.