I remember my supervisor once told me:
You cannot ask for help from a person without giving anything back
It takes two to make a relationship, this includes friendship. And as the other type or relationship that require some work to be maintain and developed, friendship is not excluded.
A most common thing to remember is that friendship need give and take. You cannot always be a giver, or a taker. You have to be both, if you always gives and get nothing back, bear in mind that the relationship will not persist, it will break at some point.
You cannot also cannot just be a taker. You friends might pay for your meal, help you in your shortcoming, give you a ride or pick you up, and they will never ask for anything from you. So, you don’t need to give anything to him/her back right? Because they did not ask? Wrong. Remember that it always need give and take for a relationship to persist, though the other party will not verbally ask for them.
They did not ask, so what to do?
Actually there are various thing you can do, so that your friend will always view you as friend, not as an opportunity-taker. Here are some tips that might work:
- If your friends give you a free ride, or pick you up, you can left some money in the car. Maybe not much, but enough to remind the other party that you care.
- If he/she always pay for your meal when you hang out together, surprise them with free meals sometimes. Maybe just some burritos or burgers early at breakfast. Just so he/she think that you care about them.
- Share instead of ask. You may need a favor from them. Don’t ask, but instead share your problems. They will will help you without you need to ask, but bear in mind that you should return the favor soon. Remember? It give and take.
Of course there are so much more you can do. But whatever you do, make sure that you’re in giving position more than receiving, otherwise you will be viewed as just as some peoples trying to take advantage in goods of others.