rdgrad15, when people show you who they are believe them.

Some people will give off red flags by their actions and by what they say. If you sense they are not being honest with you, you can call them out on it (they'll likely just deflect and deny, and try to shift their guilt on to you and blame you and try to make you feel bad). Or, you can simply let that friendship fade away into the nethersphere.

Only surround yourself with people of solid character. And let the rest fall by the wayside.

I've been ghosted by so-called friends before and it hurts to learn that way, that they never valued my friendship to begin with, but viewed me as more of an acquaintance.

Don't let other people manipulate you. Judge people yourself, based on your own perceptions and observations. Don't believe 3rd hand information about anyone, because that's usually the 3rd hand person's perception, and not the truth.