If you're going through friendship issues, I would say, first of

In the words of Victoria Justice, we find a truth both tender and powerful: “If you're going through friendship issues, I would say, first of all take a step back. How important is the friendship to you? Sometimes, if someone's not being a good friend to you and isn't treating you the way you should be treated, then you kind of have to move on sometimes.” This saying carries the weight of ancient wisdom — a reminder that the heart, though bound by affection, must also guard its dignity. In the temple of companionship, not all worshippers are true. Thus, one must stand still, breathe deeply, and ask: “What is the worth of this bond?” For only by stepping back can we see whether the friendship is built on stone or sand.

In ages past, philosophers spoke of balance — of knowing when to hold on and when to let go. The Stoics, too, would have nodded in agreement with this counsel. Marcus Aurelius once wrote that the soul must not be enslaved to the opinions or behaviors of others. In the same spirit, Justice’s words urge us to reclaim our agency when hurt by betrayal or neglect. To take a step back is not to abandon love; it is to honor oneself enough to see clearly. The ancients called this ataraxia, the calmness that comes from inner order — a state where one’s peace is not governed by the storms of others.

Consider, for instance, the story of Cicero and Julius Caesar. Once allies bound by admiration, they grew apart as ambition and principle tore their worlds asunder. Cicero, loyal to the republic, found that Caesar’s path led away from the ideals he held sacred. Though it pained him, Cicero withdrew. He knew that to stay beside a man who no longer walked in truth would corrupt his own integrity. Thus, Cicero’s retreat was not weakness but wisdom — the same wisdom Victoria Justice’s words whisper to us: that sometimes to move on is to preserve the noblest part of the self.

There is pain in letting go, for the human heart clings fiercely to its affections. Yet there is also power in release. Think of the forests that burn, only to birth new life from their ashes. So it is with broken friendships — the fire of disillusionment clears away falsehood, making room for relationships that nourish rather than drain. When one ceases to beg for crumbs of kindness, one begins to feast upon self-respect. Justice’s teaching here is not merely modern advice, but an echo of eternal truth: that love, in all its forms, must be mutual to be real.

Friendship, when pure, is like the ancient hearthfire — each friend tending the flame so that warmth may endure. But when only one tends it, the fire dies. To move on, then, is not cruelty; it is the acceptance that the flame has gone out. The wise do not curse the ashes; they bow to the lesson they leave behind. They walk forward with gratitude for what was once good, yet unafraid of solitude, knowing that the spirit must not dwell among the ruins of affection unreturned.

From these words and examples emerges a lesson for all hearts: cherish those who treat you with care, and be courageous enough to step away from those who do not. Friendship must be a circle of mutual honor, not a chain of dependency. When you find that your presence is undervalued, do not rage, do not plead — simply step back into your own light. Time will reveal who follows.

In practice, this means pausing before reacting, reflecting upon the health of your connections, and listening to the quiet voice within that says, “You deserve better.” If reconciliation is possible, pursue it with gentleness. If it is not, release the bond with grace. Write a farewell letter never sent, breathe deeply, and choose peace over resentment. The world is vast, and those who will cherish your soul are yet to be met.

So remember, as the elders once said: the river of life does not stop for any one stone. It flows onward, carrying us toward new shores of understanding. Let the current take what must be left behind. Hold fast only to kindness, integrity, and love — for these, unlike false friendship, will never abandon you.