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Who your partner is when they’re with you and when they’re around their buddies might be two completely different people. It can be shocking to uncover the fact that your significant other has no issue with their close friends’ disgusting behavior.
Redditor u/Professional-Sea4132, a Black woman in an interracial relationship, turned to the ‘Off My Chest’ online community for help with an incredibly sensitive situation. After snooping through her boyfriend’s phone, she found out that he tolerates his friends’ racist behavior. Scroll down for the full story and the internet’s advice. Bored Panda has reached out to the author for comment, and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from her.
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Who you choose to be friends with says a lot about your values and character
Woman checks boyfriend’s phone looking upset and regretful while lying on couch in a living room setting.
Real friendship means that you are open and honest with your buddies, telling them hard truths when they might not want to hear them.
Sure, friendship is about having fun and unconditional support, but it’s not just that. You have to be willing to confront them when they cross boundaries, ignore basic decency, and behave like barbarians.
If you’re constantly walking on eggshells, scared to say something your buddies won’t like, setting your principles aside, then you have to wonder whether you’re actually friends.
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Real friends appreciate you having boundaries and sticking up for your values. Fake friends get mad when you confront them about their bad behavior.
It’s natural to be worried about the company your significant other keeps. While nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes, if someone constantly behaves in disturbing ways, you have to wonder why your partner wants to spend their precious time with them.
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Verywell Mind suggests that if you don’t like your partner’s friends, you have to talk to them about your issues with them. It’s possible that your significant other might not even know that their pals are problematic for you.
“Research has found that talking about your feelings with your partner and having difficult conversations can have benefits. In addition to improving communication and resolving problems, it can help people cope more effectively and help make relationships more successful.”
If your partner’s friends are particularly problematic, you should establish and enforce some healthy boundaries. For example, you could talk to your significant other about how often you want to see their pals, so you’re not constantly around people you genuinely dislike.
Obviously, you shouldn’t tolerate someone’s bigoted behavior. If the problems you have with your partner’s friends aren’t as serious as the situation that u/Professional-Sea4132 is dealing with, you could potentially try to look for common ground. Get to know them better. Also consider the possibility that they might change and grow over time.
Meanwhile, remember that what matters is that you prioritize your relationship with your significant other.
“It’s important to remember that your partner is separate from their friends. Just because you don’t like their friends doesn’t mean you have to dislike your partner,” Verywell Mind says, noting that you should keep the lines of communication with your partner open.
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Breaking off toxic friendships is easier said than done. You should prepare for pushback, anger, and manipulations
Some of the major red flags indicating that your friend is toxic are that they are:
Untrustworthy
Insincere
Highly critical of you
Selfish
Overly competitive
Manipulative
Narcissistic
Self-centered
Prone to drama
Bringing you down
Unreliable
Isolating you from your other relationships
Being around toxic people is bad for your mental health. However, moving away from relationships that we know are bad for us isn’t as easy as it sounds.
You might continue hanging out with your toxic pals because they used to be different, you feel loyal to them, or they’ve manipulated you to think that they’re more supportive of you than they actually are.
“The constant bombardment of negativity in toxic friendships can lead to depression, anxiety, and doubts about our self-worth,” Dr. Patrice Le Goy explained to Verywell Mind.
She warned that confronting your toxic pals or ending these friendships can be difficult. They might have a lot to say about you cutting them out.
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“You may hope to end the friendship in an open and honest way, but that is not always possible. For example, if your friend is a narcissist, they may be unwilling to accept that they are the problem and they may even try to charm their way back into your good graces. Other types of toxic friends may attempt to turn others against you,” she said.
At the end of the day, though, you have to prioritize your mental and emotional well-being. If being around someone constantly drains you and they bring out the worst in you, you have to make some tough decisions.
What would you do if you found out that your partner doesn’t mind bigoted behavior from their friends, Pandas? How would you confront your buddies about the disgusting things they say, do, and write? Have you ever cut friends out of your life because of something like this? This is a very sensitive topic, but if you’re willing to share your thoughts, you can do so in the comments.
People were appalled by what they read. Many netizens wanted to help the author, so they shared some advice
Text conversation about moving out and addressing issues after a woman checks boyfriend’s phone in a jealous freak-out.
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Woman checks boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, showing regret and tension in a dimly lit room.
Text conversation about a woman checking boyfriend’s phone after a jealous freak-out and regretting it immediately.
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Woman checks boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, showing regret and tension in a relationship moment.
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Woman checks boyfriend’s phone with a jealous expression, instantly regretting the decision in a tense moment.
Woman looking at boyfriend’s phone with a jealous expression after a freak-out, immediately regretting the decision.
Woman checking boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, feeling regret and tension in a dimly lit room.
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Woman checking boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, feeling regret and emotional conflict in a tense moment.
Text conversation discussing boundaries and respect after a woman checks boyfriend’s phone following jealousy.
Screenshot of a forum comment discussing trust and behavior in interracial relationships after a jealous phone check.
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Screenshot of a social media comment discussing relationship trust and warning against toxic behavior after checking a boyfriend’s phone.
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Text message conversation with advice on safety and breaking up after a jealous freak-out checking boyfriend’s phone.
Text message conversation showing a woman checking her boyfriend’s phone after a jealous freak-out and regretting it immediately.
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Comment discussing relationship issues and unacceptable behavior related to woman checking boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out.
Text comment expressing doubt about a boyfriend’s love and warning about jealousy and trust issues after checking phone.
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Comment discussing advice on leaving belongings behind and not confronting partner alone after a jealous freak-out incident.
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Woman checking boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, showing regret and tension in a close-up interaction.
Woman checking boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, looking regretful and distressed in a tense moment.
Comment on advice about operating in stealth mode to leave safely, related to woman checking boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out.
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Comment about woman checking boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, expressing regret about racist friends discovered.
Reddit user shares regret after woman checks boyfriend’s phone following jealous freak-out and trust issues arise.
Comment on a forum post, expressing frustration and advising to get affairs in order and move out after a jealous phone check.
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Woman anxiously checking boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, showing immediate regret and tension in a home setting.
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Screenshot of a user comment expressing concern and apology after a jealous freak-out involving checking a boyfriend’s phone.
Woman checks boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, feeling regret and tension in a tense relationship moment.
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Woman checking boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, regretful expression in a tense moment.
Text message conversation on a phone screen showing a woman checking boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out.
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Woman checking boyfriend’s phone after a jealous freak-out, feeling regretful in a tense moment at home.
Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing relationship advice after a woman checks boyfriend’s phone in jealousy.
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Woman upset and checking boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, showing immediate regret and emotional tension.
Woman checks boyfriend’s phone with a worried expression, feeling regret after a jealous moment in a modern apartment.
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Woman anxiously checks boyfriend’s phone after jealous reaction, showing immediate regret in a tense moment.
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Woman checking boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, showing regret and tension in a modern home setting.
Woman checking boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, feeling regret while looking at the screen indoors
Woman checking boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, showing regret and tension in a relationship setting.
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Woman checking boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, looking regretful while holding the device in a tense moment.
Woman looks concerned while checking boyfriend’s phone after a jealous freak-out moment in a tense setting.
Other internet users felt like sharing similar stories from their lives
Comment thread discussing a woman’s regret after checking boyfriend’s phone following a jealous freak-out.
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Woman checks boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, feeling immediate regret in a tense relationship moment.
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Woman checking boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, showing regret and tension in their relationship moment.
Screenshot of a Reddit comment about relationship trust and regret after checking a boyfriend’s phone during a jealous freak-out.
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Woman checking boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, showing regret and tension in a close-up moment.
Woman checks boyfriend’s phone after jealous freak-out, feeling regret and tension in their relationship moment.
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Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real.
At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design.
In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle.
I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.
Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real.
At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design.
In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle.
I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.
I'm a senior visual editor here at Bored Panda and I enjoy a good laugh. My work ranges from serious topics related to toxic work environments and relationship difficulties to humorous articles about online shopping fails and introvert memes. When I'm not at my work desk, checking if every single pixel is in the right place, I usually spend my free time playing board games, taking pictures, and watching documentaries
I'm a senior visual editor here at Bored Panda and I enjoy a good laugh. My work ranges from serious topics related to toxic work environments and relationship difficulties to humorous articles about online shopping fails and introvert memes. When I'm not at my work desk, checking if every single pixel is in the right place, I usually spend my free time playing board games, taking pictures, and watching documentaries
So many red flags. If he truly disagreed with them then he wouldn't be friends with them. You hang with likeminded people. If he's not willing to standup for her then he doesn't deserve her.
Erm big fat deal breaker for me. He’d be gone yesterday if it were my relationship. You can move out, you can earn more money to get a better car you can do all the things you need to do… but you can’t regain the time you’ll be wasting if you stay with him. He doesn’t respect you. His behaviour is vile and you deserve better. I couldn’t ever imagine treating my wife like this.
So many red flags. If he truly disagreed with them then he wouldn't be friends with them. You hang with likeminded people. If he's not willing to standup for her then he doesn't deserve her.
Erm big fat deal breaker for me. He’d be gone yesterday if it were my relationship. You can move out, you can earn more money to get a better car you can do all the things you need to do… but you can’t regain the time you’ll be wasting if you stay with him. He doesn’t respect you. His behaviour is vile and you deserve better. I couldn’t ever imagine treating my wife like this.
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