Today’s post is inspired by friendship and in my world less is more, so I’ll break down the three types of friends you need. Three is a good number to have as it evens out with your inclusion so nobody feels left out. To drive my points home I’ll use examples from 90s shows I used to watch such as Living Single displayed in the picture. I am currently re-watching Girlfriends which is an iconic show as well and a bit more relatable because it aired in the 2000s when shoulder pads were no longer a thing.

However, despite the fact that the shows were set in two different eras, the personality of the characters are very similar. So to make this easier I’ll break down the characters into the four types of characters you need in your friendships with one of the characters being you.

The straight-shooter

In Living Single, you had a high strung lawyer named Maxine who was a tom boy and was crude in her humor. She was also very focused on her career and claimed that wasn’t looking for love. I have to admit that I never finished the series but I do remember that she had a friends with benefits situation who was clearly perfect for her but denied her feelings due to her pride. Based on this description, you might ask yourself why you need a friend like this. The answer is simple, straight shooters always think with their head not their heart so they’re the best people to give you advice although you must take their relationship advice with a grain of salt.

The level-headed one

Undoubtedly, the most level-headed character in Living Single was Khadijah, ironically played by Queen Latifah. She happened to be the  realest person on the show as she had good relationships with everyone and was the glue to the girl squad. This type of friend is necessary as she keeps everyone in check when they take things to far without sounding too harsh. Most often times, this person also happens to be the mother of the group so everyone often turns to them when they’re in a crisis. Unsurprisingly, this is also the person that everyone else is closest too. So if you fail at having more than one friend, make sure this is the person you have in your line (I would say circle but you need four people for that haha).

The bougie one

Every friend based show has a bougie (translation: uppity) friend in its circle, in Living Single it was Régine whose real name was Regina but of course bougie people try to make their names sound more chic. This is also evident in Girlfriends, where the bougie friend goes by Toni when her real name is Antoinette. Despite how annoying the bougie friend can be as they seem to value material possessions more than anything else, they can be valuable in helping you figure out what to wear and any type of shopping activity from buying a new duvet to a new condo. These friends are also selective about the men they date in terms of their net worth so if you’re looking for a millionaire, they’re the friends that you turn to. On the flip side, their savings are probably non-existent and they’re probably at greatest risk of getting bankrupt so take their shopping advice with a grain of salt.

The optimist

This is the friend that sees the world through rose colored glasses. In Living Single you had Synclair who was a little bit slow but maintained a constant good nature. She never stayed mad at anyone and was always chipper to a fault. You might find such a friend annoying sometimes but it’s good to have them when you’re in a dark corner of your life. They help you stay grounded and always help you see the silver lining. However, these friends usually don’t make good planners as they expect everything to work itself out so you should take their ideas with a grain of salt.

The main point of this post is that we need different types of people in our lives as they’re all useful in different situations. However, you should always understand their flaws as well so you know what to and what not to expect from them.

If you were amused enough by these characters to watch the shows. They can be found on youtube at the following links:
Living Single: https://tinyurl.com/ycjb9qc6

Girlfriends: https://tinyurl.com/yax5fcps