Are your friends helping you?

Friendship is a very subjective concept. Some people rely on friends for emotional support, others rely on friends for their connections. But no matter how you define friendship, the "trust" component is always there.

Yet even "trust" is a broad concept. If you trust a friend, does it means that:

• he/she will never hurt you (or make you feel bad)
• OR he/she will always help you

Sometimes, saying the truth can hurt your friend, yet he/she might desperately need to hear the objective truth in order to know reality and plan effectively for the future.

For example, if you've invited friends to your network, yet you notice that they don't make any effort to invite THEIR friends and co-workers, then how do you tell them the truth? How do you tell them that you've opened up your social network to help them, yet they don't reciprocate?

I think the best (and most compassionate) policy is just to lead by example, and to keep inviting people while also mentioning opportunities to your friends. Eventually, they will see the value of social networking and begin to build their network.