People don't stay in friendships they've outgrown because they're weak - they stay because identity is bound up in being the kind of person who doesn't abandon people - Silicon Canals

"People don’t stay out of cowardice. They stay because their identity is bolted to the idea of being someone who doesn’t leave, and pulling that bolt feels like pulling out a load-bearing wall."

"People stay in outgrown friendships because their entire self-concept is organised around being a particular kind of person. A person who shows up. A person who doesn’t abandon others."

"Leaving the friendship isn’t just leaving the friendship. It’s leaving the self that was built around being someone who stays."

Individuals often remain in friendships they've outgrown because their self-identity is linked to being dependable and present. This connection to their identity can overshadow their true feelings about the relationship. The notion of leaving is perceived as abandoning not just the friendship but also the self that has been constructed around the idea of loyalty and commitment. This perspective challenges common views that label such behavior as weakness or emotional immaturity.

Read at Silicon Canals