21 Signs Of A Positive Person To Look For When Making Friends

Making friends as an adult is not an easy task for most people, which is why you better pay attention to people who you let into your inner circle from day one. There are many signs of a positive person, as well as negative characteristics you should avoid when you are considering becoming friends with someone. Today we’ll focus on the positive traits to look for in a new friend!

Cutting off toxic friendships can be really painful when you get attached to them, so I’d rather not engage in a bad relationship like that in the first place.

Surrounding yourself with positive-minded people makes your life a much more pleasant experience. They can teach you how to find joy in little things, how to stay motivated even when life is tough, and how to achieve your dreams without doubting yourself.

It’s always nice to have a positive person as a close friend because they can cheer you up when you feel down, are able to change your perspective so you see the world in brighter colors, and they usually know the right encouraging words to say to you.

But who do you consider a positive person? Let’s think about it for a minute.

What is a positive person like?

A positive person is focused on opportunities instead of losses and treats failures as building blocks to success. They don’t allow negative thoughts to take the lead in their life decisions, nor do they let inner fears stop them from moving forward. When you are positive-minded, you are grateful for all the things you have, and your positive energy attracts more of them into your life.

Why is positivity important in a relationship

The main sign of a positive-minded person is that they focus on the positive side of everything. In a relationship, this means solving problems faster and finding reasons to love someone instead of picking fights and taking each other down all the time.

If there is a quarrel, a negative person would hold a grudge forever and bring it up every time, while a positive person is more forgiving and doesn’t want to waste energy on the same arguments.

Whether it’s a friendship or a family relationship, a positive-minded person usually makes you feel better, not worse. You enjoy spending time with them and end up being inspired and energized after every meetup.

They always encourage you to be yourself and to try new scary things you wanna try, as opposed to finding reasons why you can’t or shouldn’t do it. Generally, you feel like they are making you a better person and growing with you instead of keeping you in the past and blocking your progress.

You always know deep down whether a person is good for you, or a bad influence.

With that said, let’s see what the 21 typical characteristics of a positive person look like!

21 signs of a naturally positive person

1. They smile a lot

You can typically recognize a positive person by a wide smile on their face. They seem happy every time you see them no matter what they are going through in life, they are always happy to meet you, and you can read it in their eyes because they don’t have a fake smile.

They smile often because they easily find joy in life and they know to appreciate it. And they might be getting lots of compliments about their cute smile because it is so genuine and they don’t hide it from people.

2. They don’t hold a grudge

A person with a healthy mindset knows better than to hold a grudge. Negative feelings like anger, bitterness, and others are always hurting you more than the other person, which is why it’s smart to get rid of them as soon as possible.

They move on pretty fast from a bad situation, while negative people will stay there and come back to it often, pulling you back into past sorrows with them.

This doesn’t mean that they allow people who hurt them to stay in their life. They let go of the bad feelings so they don’t affect them anymore, but they learn the lesson.

3. They look at the bright side

A naturally positive person always sees the light where negative people only see darkness.

According to one famous quote by the French novelist Alphonse Karr, “we can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses”.

This is how you can easily recognize a positive person from a negative one. See how they react to things, what they are focusing on, and whether they are trying to solve problems instead of just being sad or angry about it, doing nothing.

Even in the toughest times, they see a valuable lesson to learn and only get stronger.

4. They are open-minded

They don’t hate anyone without a good personal reason, and they are open to seeing a different perspective. They don’t see change as an enemy, and they welcome unexpected ways to solve problems.

That’s why positive open-minded people often get further in life: they think out of the box and don’t get fixated on one particular way of doing something.

In an argument, a positive person is always listening and trying to understand the opposing opinion, instead of getting defensive and trying to prove their own idea.

5. They don’t complain much

A tendency to complain is one character trait you can’t miss in a negative person.

Complaining about everything and everyone, judging people for their choices, and blaming everyone but themselves are the most typical characteristics of a so-called energy vampire.

A positive person wouldn’t enjoy talking over and over again about negative things. They will try to find a solution or remove themselves from the situation in one way or another, and if that’s not possible, accept it and move on.

6. They pay attention to the little beautiful things

Naturally positive people know how to enjoy the present moment and not skip it while aiming for future success. They are more mindful of their surroundings and appreciate every little good thing they notice.

You might feel like they don’t need much to be happy. But the thing is, they learn to be content with what they have and make the most of it while working towards a better life.

7. They are focused on the future

A positive person doesn’t dwell on the past. They don’t waste their time reliving the past situation and overthinking various possible scenarios over and over again. They move on because they have a vision of their future and don’t want to lose any more time on anything that doesn’t take them closer to their dreams.

They are disciplined goal-setters who have ways to motivate themselves even when life is hard. They make a conscious choice to be productive or lazy every day, and they battle procrastination because it can delay their dream life.

8. They make the best of every situation

They understand that life is not perfect and that you have to work with what you have. They don’t complain when something doesn’t work out and they don’t focus on things they don’t have. Instead, they accept the situation, evaluate their options, and try to figure out a way to make it work.

9. They like you for you

A positive person is easy to be friends with because you don’t have to prove yourself or be somebody else in order for them to like you. If they choose to be friends with you, that’s because they like and accept your personality as it is. They will not demand or expect any change from you, even if some of their beliefs are different from yours.

10. They are grateful

A friend who is naturally positive usually has a gratitude mindset. They don’t take anything for granted, they appreciate your help when they asked for it, and they acknowledge the small things most people don’t even notice. If you see someone expressing gratitude and speaking from the heart, it’s a clear sign of a positive person.

They have what’s called an attitude of gratitude, and they always seem to be a magnet for good things, people, and events.

11. They know their worth

Because a positive person doesn’t indulge in negative thoughts, it’s hard to make them feel less-than. They are confident in their abilities and aren’t easily affected by the opinions of others.

They have healthy self-esteem and don’t compare themselves with others to the point of feeling bad about themselves. They compare themselves to past versions of selves, and they get inspired by others to become an even better version of themselves.

12. They are kind and compassionate

A positive friend can always cheer you up when you feel sad and makes sure to choose kind words that won’t hurt your feelings. They would never hurt you on purpose, and they are always there for you when you need support.

They are usually the ones to care about stray animals and they smile at strangers with kindness in their eyes.

13. They are eager to learn

Positive people are always open to learning new things, expanding their worldview, and acquiring new skills.

They look for opportunities to improve themselves, dedicate time to self-care and self-development, and make a big deal of finding their own path.

They have a growth mindset and don’t allow limiting beliefs to stop them from greatness. And if they fail, they learn from it and try again until they eventually succeed. They always get what they want because they never give up.

14. They are flexible and adapt easily

A positive person knows that a change of circumstances is not the end of the world, and they adapt quickly to a new environment. When they move to a new place, they look for ways to integrate instead of the differences to complain about.

People always seem to enjoy talking to them because they are adaptive conversationalists and easily shift their manner of speaking according to the current context.

15. They spread peaceful vibes

When you look at a positive person, you might think that they always have peace of mind.

This might vary between different personalities, but they are usually calm and make you feel safe and welcome. It’s like they are radiating peaceful vibes that affect everything and everyone around them in a positive way.

They always seem relaxed and stress-resilient but they keep things under control at the same time.

16. They make you feel special

A good friend always makes you feel loved and special. They make you realize that you are good enough for a healthy relationship and that you deserve to be genuinely cared for simply because you are a nice person.

With a positive friend like that, you can never feel that you are not welcome or not important. They listen to what you have to say because your opinion matters to them. They encourage you to be your best self and to chase your dreams even when you have doubts about yourself.

17. They trust the process

Even when life hits them hard, they quickly bounce back to being a positive person because they trust the process. They see failures and setbacks as learning points and don’t see themselves as failures as long as they get back on track.

They don’t get sad when there is a detour in life, they wonder why the Universe decided to take them in that direction instead. They aren’t afraid of uncertainty but are curious about what the next turn has prepared for them.

They know better days are always coming and everything happens for a reason. Even when something is not to their liking, they stay calm and see how things unravel. They understand that sometimes bad things are necessary for much more important good things to happen.

A positive person is usually called optimistic because they have an image of a better future in their mind, and specifically focus on it – and that’s exactly what manifests for them.

18. They don’t enjoy conflict

A positive person never picks a fight just for the sake of fighting. They try to resolve things in a calm and peaceful manner and avoid unnecessary conflict at all costs. They know to walk away instead of fueling the emotional fire of their opponent.

This also means they listen carefully to the opposing opinion and try to understand their point of view instead of just waiting to prove their own.

And as they don’t hold grudges, they don’t allow the memories from past conflicts to affect their future decisions.

19. They face fears and say yes to life

Being friends with a positive person takes you further in life than being around naysayers.

Positive-minded people are never held back by their fears, however big they might be. They say yes to new opportunities and things that can bring them joy. They look for ways of reaching their dreams instead of finding excuses and coming up with potential negative outcomes.

They prepare for the worst but don’t let the idea of it prevent them from moving forward. They focus on the positive result, visualize it in detail, and hope for the best.

20. They take responsibility

You can easily distinguish a positive person from the rest after a bad situation.

While a negative person will blame everyone around them, starting with God or the government and possibly ending with you, a positive-minded person will take responsibility for their own life.

There is always something that can distract you from your path, the idea is to stick to your journey and work around those distractions. If someone hurts you, it’s because you let them. If something makes you break a promise to yourself, it’s still on you. If it’s easy to stop you from achieving your goal, you are not working hard enough.

Maybe you don’t want it as much, and that’s okay. But don’t go blaming other people for your own decisions. Take the reins of your own life! That’s what a positive person would do.

21. They inspire you

In most cases, this characteristic is recognized intuitively as you spend some time with a person.

If every time you meet with this friend, you come back home inspired to work for your goals, build a new positive habit, or start a new venture, it’s a great person to be around. They usually lead by example and seeing them succeed makes you want to achieve something similar yourself.

They show you what’s possible, help you eliminate your hidden limitations that prevent you from success, and they think out of the box. They stay on your side and empower you to keep going when you are close to quitting.

And when you succeed, they are genuinely excited for you, and never jealous.

That’s how you know it’s a really good positive friend.

Are you a positive person yourself?

These were 21 signs of a positive person that I came up with. Hope they make sense to you!

Remember that positive people will never be friends with toxic people, as it’s important for them to protect themselves from negative energy. So if you want to surround yourself with positive people, start by being one yourself. Look at the bright side, set goals and achieve them, show your beautiful smile to the world, and you’ll naturally attract your positive tribe in no time!