Videojug is an educational social video site known for its huge array of step-by-step instructional videos on everything from how to tie a tie or how to get rid of spam email, to how to play table tennis/ping pong.
Being a Good Friend is a collection of 17 short videos on specific social situations: How to get along with your girlfriend/boyfriend’s friends, being “just friends” with someone (as opposed to a romance), what to do when your friend gets engaged, pregnant, or divorced, how to tell a friend their partner is cheating, being a good “wingman”, how to recognize a truly good friend, some quizzes, and instructions on how to give a man-to-man “man-hug” with totally hilarious what-not-to-do depictions.
More sombre: how to help a friend who loses a parent, has alcohol addiction, or loses a job. The latter video has excellent professional advice from the University of London’s Careers Group. Here’s an outline of the steps in What to Do When Your Friend Loses a Job:
Step 1 - Just listen, don’t try to fix things.
Step 2 - Slow down. Though they may need a new job ASAP, unemployment is an opportunity to reassess a career, so encourage it.
Step 3 - Affirm their identity outside of work, their talents and qualities.
Step 4 - What do they want? Friend will give cues about what they need from you.
Step 5 - They may ask questions like, “What’s the name of that company?” Give direct and clear information.
Step 6 - How questions. If they ask you how to dress for an interview, etc., they’re asking for your wisdom or advice. Offer opinions but not framed as statements of fact.
Step 7 - If they ask, “Why did this happen?” They may want to have an existential conversation, respond with “philosophy, religion or beer.”
Step 8 - Help in marketing themselves. A scenario is that they have 15 seconds to pitch themselves to a vice-president who can hire them in their dream job. What will they say? This is known as the “elevator pitch”, which helps to self-define.
Step 9 - Practice mock interviews, but don’t dent confidence with too much criticism.
Step 10 - Recommend a recruiter.
Step 11 - If you’re a co-worker left behind, they may have mixed feelings toward you, so be non-aggressive in approaching.
Though of course there are no one-size-fits-all answers to complex problems, this collection of videos offers some practical, basic advice to handle social situations.
I’m reminded of a favourite quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “The only way to have a friend is to be one.”
(10 votes, average: 4.6 out of 5)
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2 Comments to
“How to be a Good Friend”
Hi Sandra
I found these educational/social videos very entertaining and thought provoking. People have great difficulties with certain social situations and this can lead to heightened anxiety leading to social phobias which prevent people living fulfilled lives.
Many Thanks
Dawn Pugh
http://www.dawnpugh.com
I’m glad you enjoyed them, Dawn. 
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 24 Jun 2008
