Since my childhood, I have always been taught to ignore. If someone hurt me or if something upset me, my mother would tell me to simply ignore it and move on. As a result, I have tried to avoid confronting people whenever conflicts arise.

But growing up, I realized that sometimes you have to be honest about how you feel. When you ignore discussing certain conflicts, usually two people end up drifting away from one another. The initial misunderstanding never gets resolved. And consequently, it builds up and causes the gap to increase.

When you really care about a person and cannot afford to lose that certain person in your life, you have to be honest. Few people in your life will be worth such honesty.

As hard as it can be, being truthful to someone you care about is a right. You owe them honesty. If that person is a true friend, he or she will appreciate your honesty and try to work with you to resolve the issue. On the other hand, if he or she does not make the effort to fix things, then you know who to delete from your life.

There have been a few times in my life where I've been honest to my close friends about instances when I felt upset. While I lost one of those friends, my relationship with the other only grew stronger. I felt so much better after having a heart-to-heart and clearing up misunderstandings.

Relationships in general require honesty, transparency and trust. If you are in that gray area with someone who you are close to and how they are acting is confusing you, be transparent about your feelings. If you don’t know where you stand in someone’s life, it’s time to be clear and find out. If you don't do these things, the question will linger in your mind and you will develop bitter feelings for someone who you care about—and you don’t want that! Drifting away from people is natural but drifting away from someone you once considered your best friend is painful.

If things don’t work out after you confront someone, then at least you know you tried. You can finally move on without having to dwell on what could have happened differently because you finally know that you and that person were not on the same page.

The hardest part about confrontations is accepting one’s vulnerability. When you say how you truly feel, a part of yourself is revealed—a part that might highlight personal insecurities or flaws. What you need to remember is that no human is perfect. We all have flaws. A true friend would appreciate you for the complex being that you are and will still manage to find the good in you. They may even help you see what your real issue is and help you overcome that personal battle.

Human being are imperfect and conflicts will inevitably arise, even amongst the best of friends. In order to avoid losing someone you love and care for, embrace learning how to communicate honestly and opening up to vulnerability