Business By Hormozi #285: The Harsh Truth About True Friends

The Illusion of Friendship

Sam had always been the kind of person who put others first. He believed in supporting his friends no matter what, even when it meant putting his own dreams and ambitions aside. He surrounded himself with a tight-knit group, each one a loyal friend he could count on. Or so he thought.

Over time, as Sam grew more successful and started taking risks, he began to notice a subtle shift in his friendships. The people he had once called his closest friends started to distance themselves, offering unsolicited advice, questioning his decisions, and sometimes even undermining his ambitions.

One day, after a particularly harsh conversation with one of his so-called "friends," Sam came to a stark realization:“A lot of the people you call friends would rather be right, and you be a failure, than be wrong and have you succeed.”

The Unseen Sabotage

At first, Sam didn’t want to believe it. These were his friends, the people he trusted. Surely they wanted what was best for him, right? But as he reflected more on their actions, he realized that they didn’t want to see him succeed. They didn’t want him to rise higher than they had. His success made them uncomfortable.

They were so focused on being right, on proving their own way was the best, that they couldn’t bear to see Sam achieve things they hadn’t. This was a painful truth to accept, but it was necessary.

True friends don’t want you to fail just to make themselves feel better. True friends cheer you on, even when they don’t fully understand your journey. Sam began to see that many of his friends weren’t in his corner after all—they were only supportive as long as he didn’t threaten their own sense of security.

The Real Test of Friendship

Sam decided to take a step back and evaluate the friendships that mattered. He had always believed that friends should stick together through thick and thin, but the reality was far more complicated.

A true friend is someone who doesn’t just agree with you all the time, but supports your growth even when it challenges them. True friends don’t want you to stay in the same place; they encourage you to reach for more. They don’t hold you back because they feel threatened by your success.

Sam started distancing himself from the people who would rather see him fail just to be right. Instead, he began seeking out those who celebrated his victories and helped him grow. The difference was night and day.

Why You Need to Let Go of Certain Friends

For Sam, the hardest part was letting go of relationships he had valued for years. But over time, he realized that clinging to these people was holding him back. To truly succeed, he needed to surround himself with people who would lift him up, not drag him down.

True friends don’t sabotage your dreams—they push you to be better, even if that means challenging you or disagreeing with you at times. They want to see you succeed, even if it means they have to be wrong or uncomfortable.

Sam found that by cutting ties with people who didn’t have his best interests at heart, he made room for true friends—people who would stand by him, no matter how difficult the path became.

The Power of Surrounding Yourself with the Right People

It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that we need to keep every friend we’ve ever had. But true friends are the ones who will make the most difference in your journey. They won’t hold you back—they’ll push you forward.

So Sam learned that the key to success wasn’t just about working hard or having talent. It was about surrounding himself with people who believed in him, who were willing to challenge him and grow with him, not those who would rather be right and see him fail.

Moral: "A lot of the people you call friends would rather be right, and you be a failure, than be wrong and have you succeed."