I’m thinking about what I should do. Over the last year, my social life slowed down significantly for reasons I’ve solved recently. I’m at home all the time too, so it gets lonely.
I have a friend who I feel is not a great match for me. I’ve realized that he’s judgmental. I want to spend more time with empathetic people who I can go on adventures with. And be myself. I’ve realized that I hold back on sharing myself authentically, I tell him what he wants to hear, and I feel so fake. I noticed I haven’t felt comfortable expanding the scope of our friendship. I’ve been going through the motions.
How would you proceed in this situation? I can wind down planning hangouts with him. I’ll have to communicate at some point with him though. I think we both have a mutual sense of loneliness, so I don’t want to be an asshole to the guy… I get the sense that he struggles to maintain friendships. We may also run into each other at public events of mutual interest. What would you recommend?