You've been friends with your friend for years. You can talk about anything and everything together, and only she knows the embarrassing story of why you don't eat peas anymore. You've always gotten along like couple of cats in a hammock, but lately she's been ignoring your texts, poisoning your macaroni, and going several miles out of her way just to kick you in the shins. You have no idea what you did to upset her, but cast your mind back over the last few weeks; have any of the following situations occurred? That might explain why she keeps filling your locker with spiders.
You didn't laugh at her joke. Everybody likes to think that they're funny. When you make a joke and no-one reacts, it's like being punched by a baby—embarrassing and surprisingly painful. You were probably just distracted by a really big car or something, but your friend might have been working on that joke for weeks, waiting for just the right combination of priests, clowns and Irishmen to walk into the cafeteria. When you didn't laugh at the punchline ("and then the priest said to the clown, 'It's not even Wednesday!'"), it probably hurt her feelings.
How to make up for it: Pay close attention. Make sure you laugh at her next joke.
You insulted her appearance. Or maybe she only thought you did. Did you actually tell her that her new dress made her look like the back end of a rhino? That would explain why she's upset. But even if you didn't use those exact words, sometimes even "Nice dress!" can be misinterpreted as "Look at you, you big hosebeast!" if you use the wrong inflection.
How to make up for it. Tell her her shoes are cute. Compliment her hairstyle. Say "I was only joking about that rhino thing. You are as elegant as a gazelle. No seriously." Make her realize that you think she's adorable no matter what.
You implied that her beliefs and opinions were a load of donkey puke. Maybe you made a bad joke about her religion, or mentioned that her favorite president was an unsavory evil-monger. Maybe all you said was "Lightbulbs!" without realizing that a lightbulb killed her great-uncle. Of course you didn't mean to be offensive, but she went ahead and took offense anyway.
How to make up for it. Express an interest in whatever it was you accidentally insulted. Ask a polite question about her religious beliefs. Make a neutral enquiry into why the heck she even likes that particular president, anyway. Non-judgementally express your sympathy for the tragic lightbulb incident. Show her that you are accepting of all her beliefs and opinions, and vow never to use a lightbulb in her presence.
You made out with her crush. Okay, think hard. Try to remember the last few weeks. Can you recall a point when your mouth may have been in contact with the face of a person who has the same name as the one your friend has doodled all over her notebooks, surrounded by little hearts? Did you then, after this face to mouth contact, phone your friend up in the middle of the night to describe in great detail the exact color of this person's eyes and/or underpants? This may be why your friend is currently attacking you with a cheese grater.
How to make up for it. This one is easy. Step 1. Stop making out with your friend's crush. Step 2. Apologize for making out with your friend's crush. Step 3. Encourage your friend's crush to make out with your friend. Step 4. Seek medical attention for cheese grater injuries.
Have you ever accidentally upset a friend?
Related post: Bet My Friends Are More Annoying Than Yours
Topics: Life
Tags: friendships, friends, insults, apologizing
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