Becoming friends with someone can be considered as easy, but mostly because the word "friend" is defined in various ways by different people. A friend can be someone who you just hang out with sometimes, or maybe just text every now and then. But a "best friend" or "close friend," or better yet, a "real friend" is something different - which is usually pretty obvious. If you're wondering who is genuinely your real friend(s), then look out for qualities and aspects like these:

1) They listen to you

Sometimes it can be really difficult to listen to someone you couldn't care less about. But a real friend hears you out on practically anything - your general complaints, your dilemmas, your happiness. And what's even better is if they actually have some advice or encouraging words for you.

2) They're honest - sometimes, brutally honest

A real friend most of the time won't sugarcoat something for you - primarily if it's a problem you run into and need help with. Whether if it's about that boy or that girl you really like, or that total b**ch that made your life miserable, or your annoying neighbor, or whatever else - it takes a real friend to give you some legit advice. Like not constantly repeating "Oh, it'll be okay." Yeah sure, that may be true, but a smarter person will give you their real opinion and suggest to you what to do realistically.

3) They're fun to be with

This may sound really basic, but fun can mean anything - whether you find fun to go out drinking and party, or go shopping at Forever 21, or have a cookoff/bakeoff with, or watch horror/comedy/chick flick/drama movies with, or go out to eat at a diner with, or work with at your job, or go hiking with...Whatever your type of fun may be, your real friends have fun with you on what you guys like to do together. And hey, even if they actually don't like something, or if you don't like something they find fun, friends introduce each other to different kinds of fun (depending on someone's limitations of course).

4) Your convos change from subject to subject

This means that you guys have a lot to talk about - maybe not every day, which is fine; you can't be talkative all the time in life. But it's always great to catch up with friends if you've been busy for some time, and you guys find yourselves jumping from topic to topic just because you've been dying to tell each other all this stuff.

5) You don't agree on everything

Basically like any relationship, a friendship entails some disagreement - not bitterness all the time, but I mean more interesting views, meaning different views. Friends can have things in common, and that's what we all basically hear, but the friends that have different opinions on things are always the most intriguing because you have different perspectives coming at you from different angles.

This is important in a friendship. If you tend to agree on everything, well it's the same as being in any kind of relationship: you're obviously not being truthful to each other. And it means that the friendship isn't too much of you. You don't want a clone of yourself as a friend - that would be pretty boring.

6) They make sacrifices for you

Now sacrifices can mean a number of things; they can be pretty small, like covering you if you're $2 short at the bar/restaurant, or covering your work shift even though they really don't want to, or taking notes for you for that class you missed even though that can become pretty time-consuming for them, or maybe standing up for you against someone else. Whatever the sacrifice may be, if someone goes out of their way to help you with something that they honestly didn't have to help you with, then that's not just a good person, but that's a true friend. *Cue the Hannah Montana lyrics here.

7) They don't talk s**t about you

Okay this may sound pretty obvious, but you'd be surprised. Many "friends" talk behind each others' backs, and then turn around faking a smile (literally just think of Regina George's moment...)

That's not a real friend. That's probably just someone you can go to a party with and take some selfies with, and have a good time for about 4 hours, then continue on your next few days not seeing them nor caring about them that much.

If you know that your so-called friend has definitely said some nasty stuff behind your back - and nasty can mean anything, anything that actually hurts you - I hate to break it to you, but your squad isn't going to be there for you in the end.

Anyone that has the energy to make fun of you to others while pretending to be your friend whenever you introduce them as such is either just immature, or not a real friend at all...or, you know, both.

8) Last but not least: They remember you

What does this mean? Well unfortunately, we all go on different paths in life and sometimes that can lead to separating from friends for awhile. Friendships made at one particular time in your life can very well disappear easily. But if someone is a real friend, they'll at least remember to wish you a "Happy Birthday," or try to invite you to something even if you can't go, or if you can't go to that event - at least telling them the truth and thanking them for thinking of you...Whatever it may be, remembrance is something that is involved in real friendships. Friends may be miles apart, or really close to each in proximity but not having any time to be together, and that's okay.