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A woman online experienced this firsthand when her best friend told her to “get a real job.” Despite being a supportive friend, she was met with doubt and bad advice.
Unemployed or Underemployed?
The original poster (OP), who we’ll call Layla, is in her early thirties.
She’s known her best friend, Sofia, since they were 18 years old. Layla took the traditional path and got a corporate job after obtaining her college degree.
Sofia, on the other hand, took a different route.
One Woman’s Question Sparks Debate
Sofia decided to start a small business selling candles and soaps.
Great, right?
According to Layla, Sofia is able to earn enough to sustain herself. This is already an accomplishment, as it’s challenging to make a business profitable.
Friendship Mistake
Layla’s relationship with Sofia is a decent one. However, Layla has always had an odd way of pointing things out.
She mentioned that Sofia’s “parents are dirt poor,” so Sofia’s business must have generated a decent income.
Although Layla didn’t fully understand Sofia’s choices, she never questioned them.
Did This Friend Cross the Line?
Here’s where things start to take a turn.
Layla agreed to meet up with Sofia at a local cafe on a Monday during a working holiday. Most friends would use this time to catch up and talk about positive things, right?
Layla felt differently because she was stressed from work. She vented to Sofia, who politely listened. Sofia, on the other hand, had great things to share about her business’s success.
“Honestly, I kind of expected her to keep her success on the downlow considering that I was down regarding my job but she didn’t hold back.”
When is sharing good news a bad thing?
To Work or Not to Work
Sofia continued sharing her success with Layla.
She had finished editing her book and was preparing to launch a true crime YouTube channel.
You’d think Layla would’ve been happy for Sofia, but instead, Layla had a shocked look on her face.
“To say that my jaw dropped would be an understatement. This is a woman in her 30s who’s still playing around like a child. No real responsibilities, jumping from one thing to another without a care in the world.”
The Ethics of Pressuring Friends
Eventually, Layla couldn’t take it anymore and asked Sofia when she was “planning on getting a real job.”
Stunned, Sofia asked Layla to clarify, but this only made things worse.
What Laylay Really Thinks
“I explained to her that I thought it was the right time to get a real job as she can’t play all her life and it’ll come back to bite her when she’s older and needs some professional experience when her little ventures fail.”
Sofia told Layla she didn’t expect this reaction from her and thought she was one of the few who supported her.
“She told me to **** off and left the lunch. I thought she’d call apologizing but no luck.”
What People Think About Careers
“Not that the friend’s finances are any of OP’s business, but it’s a little sad how little OP knows about her friend’s work and business ventures. I would think a friend would be proud and want to support someone going out and trying to do things they like! OP I’m sorry you’re frustrated at your own work, but you’re not being a very nice friend.”
We All Get Jealous
“Honestly. Like I can get being jealous. One of my closest friends has a cool job, at a place I used to work at but now live too far away from. And I had loved working there so much, so ofc Im jealous.”
You Owe an Apology
“So she’s highly educated, runs her own business, and is about to be a published author; and you went out of your way to belittle her accomplishments? Yeah you owe her an apology.”
When Honesty Harms a Friendship
No one enjoys feeling hurt and betrayed, especially when someone we trust doesn’t have our best interests at heart.
In Sofia’s case, her best friend dismissed her accomplishments and assumed her business wouldn’t succeed. Online entrepreneurs will resonate with Sofia’s experience.
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