Friendship Infidelity: Is This the Ultimate Betrayal?

Log onto any social media platform and, amidst the meme culture populating in your feed, you'll inevitably find a post about Tristan Thompson's cheating scandal. While no one is truly surprised that Khloe Kardashian's former boyfriend didn't remain faithful (after the socially elite star forgave him for prior acts of infidelity), they are shocked to hear that his alleged hookup was with Kylie Jenner's best friend, Jordyn Woods.

Kylie, who owns the successful beauty empire Kylie Cosmetics, felt betrayed her former best friend. The Kardashian-Jenner family had embraced Jordyn as if she were extended family. Jordyn even lived with Kylie for a period of time and was supposedly like an aunt to Kylie's young daughter, Stormi.

While Khloe's breakup with Tristan may be difficult on her, Kylie's breakup with Jordyn is arguably even more devastating. There was a breach of trust. A best friend is someone we assume we can rely on and confide in, and when that aspect of the relationship is gone, the friendship is often not worth repairing.

With friendships, although time tightens the bond, disloyalty can quickly break it. Friendship really is, like with a romantic partner, a relationship that has to be maintained with certain expectations. The pressure to continue these friendships even after they have been sabotaged is not just to forgive. People make mistakes, but there are lines that cannot be crossed. Often, forgiving someone demonstrates maturity, but sometimes, practicing self-respect is more important.

When a significant other cheats, people will say "once a cheater, always a cheater", but when a friend disregards a friendship for selfish desires, there seems to be another standard. Why? Yes, forgiving is understanding that a relationship is worth more than a mistake, but cheating is cheating, and when we forgive that, we often get taken advantage of. Forgiving the unforgivable can enable a pattern of mistakes rather than a change in behavior. As we know, when mistakes become a pattern, they can no longer be considered mistakes.

A friendship should be mutually beneficial, and trust is significant in ensuring that both parties benefit from the relationship. A lack of trust can cause paranoia and inability to communicate with each other. When this happens, friends become secretive and the friendship feels more like a state you're trying to maintain rather than enjoy. Genuine friends will admit their faults without trying to blame you for their actions. They will not make excuses for their mistakes. More importantly, they will not prioritize personal greed at the expense of the friendship.

What we need to consider is that if we find ourselves feeling like the person we once knew is lost, we need to lose the relationship. There is no purpose to holding onto someone who doesn't give the effort. We are not centers for our friends' behavioral rehabilitation, and should certainly never feel pressured to dismiss betrayal as normal. Yes, there are plenty of fish in the sea, and some, we need to realize, should be thrown back.