I've realized recently that one of my friends is more than happy to point out my shortcomings, my personality flaws, my quirks that others have a difficult time understanding (and not meanly, but in the interest of making me aware of them). And that's welcome and fine, because honesty is a quality that I appreciate in friends.
The issue, however, is that I can't remember the last time this friend told me about a positive aspect of my personality, a part of my character that draws people in. I can't remember the last time they listed something about me that makes them want to be my friend.
I'm not sure if this means I'm a total asshole, or if they're a total asshole, or if we're somewhere in between the two. There are ways in which I react and act that are difficult to understand, hard to deal with, and frustrating. I know that, and while I do my best to curb those tendencies, they are never going to disappear entirely... and I wouldn't want them to, because they still shape who I am.
And I like that person.
I don't even think that it's necessary to tell your friends what it is they admire about you, but if you're going to point out the negative, you'd better come up with something nice to counterbalance it.
