Friends should always be honest with you, right? So when they lie, it can  be really hard to take. You want to trust your friends and that means knowing that they'll tell it to you straight no matter what it is. But a friend who lies isn't always trying to hurt you. Why does this happen?

Protect your feelings

One of the biggest reasons friends lie is simply to avoid hurting your feelings.

Some people don't understand the difference between being gently honest with a friend and being so straightforward（直接了当的）that they leave a verbal wound. They choose to avoid these two extremes in the form of a lie.

What you can do: Encourage your friends to be straight with you. No matter what their answer is, let them know you are grateful for it.

They feel embarrassed

Sometimes friends will lie about things in their life because they are too embarrassed to admit the truth. Maybe they are going through a rough time and they just don't want you to know about it.

What you can do: Avoid trying to badger（纠缠）your friend into telling you what's wrong. Instead, make it clear that you are there for them when and if they are ready to talk.

Avoid an argument with you

Perhaps your friend knows that if they tell you the truth, you'll get angry with them. Avoiding conflict is not always healthy for a friendship because it allows problems to grow over time. If you have a bad temper（脾气）, your friend might try and avoid getting into an argument with you and instead just tell you what you want to hear.

What you can do: Make sure that if a friend tells you something unpleasant, you don't overreact. Consider what's being said and why your friend is telling you this. If you do end up arguing, do it in a respectable way.

Exclude you

Lying isn't always a sign that friends are trying to protect you, however. Sometimes they lie because they want to exclude you from their plans.

What you can do：When you find out with certainty that your friend is lying to you, try and face it. Be forewarned, however, that if a friend lies to begin with, he or she may lie when asked a direct question about his or her dishonesty. Go with your guts on this. If you feel your friend is lying because he or she doesn't want to be around you, that's your wake-up call to move on.

   It can be difficult to meet new people and make friends，especially when you move to a new city or find yourself out of your comfort zone．How will you deal with the situation?【小题1】 There are several ways that you can meet people that you might not have considered in the past．

★【小题2】You probably have several acquaintances that you see on a daily basis or a weekly basis．If you get along well with certain people，you can see if this acquaintance would like to go out and do something socially with you．If you have common interests，you might suggest that the two of you do something together that involves your interest．

★ Make an effort to accept invitations．Sometimes people that you know may be having a barbecue or other types of social gathering．Try to ensure that you are able to attend and then show up at the appointed time．【小题3】If you meet people that you click with，you can make a plan to see them again in the future or you can invite your friends to your own event and ask them to extend the invitation to the friends that were at their gathering too．

★Go out，even when you don’t feel like it．It turns out that when people invite someone to join them for dinner or a movie or something else，they really want to hang out with you．【小题4】

【小题5】 But once you have used the same methods a few times you will know exactly what works and what does not．Don’t give up，everyone is different and it just takes time to get to know people．

Ways to Say “Happy Birthday to Me”

Whether you’re celebrating alone or with friends or family, take time for gratitude and joy on your special day.

Tomorrow is my birthday — and I’m at an age when not everyone looks forward to cake and presents. 【小题1】. It always makes me feel excited to be alive, grateful for my life and family, mind and body. Some birthdays are more openly celebrated than others, but I have found that even if your birthday is a regular day at work or at home, there are some easy ways to raise it to a special occasion.

【小题2】

They say it’s better to give than to receive, and while everyone loves to open a birthday present, there’s a lot of joy and goodness to be gained from being generous to others. Making a birthday donation to a charity that means something to you — this year I will donate to the Sierra Club — is a great way to make your values known to the world around you. 【小题3】

Try something new

Today you are starting a new loop（圈）around the sun. Why not embrace（欣然接受）the newness of the moment? Dipping your toes into some new waters, 【小题4】, signing up for an adult education class, going for a walk in a park new to you, planning a new trip — do something that reminds you that your life is an unfolding story.

【小题5】

Whether or not you have the opportunity to share a meal, an outing or a party with friends and family, take time on your birthday to connect with people who are important to your life. If you use social media like phones, you’re likely filled with wishes from the loved ones. Use these as a jumping-off point to start new conversations and reconnect with people who lift your spirits and support you in your journey toward being your best self.