It’s a SIN to :

- Not laugh when someone cracks a joke.
Oh yes, you can beat him/her up because the joke was rotten or abuse him for making you listen to a bad joke but laugh because it’s not easy telling a joke.

- Tell someone that they have put on weight.
‘Different’ is the word to be used. No matter how close you think you are to this person, never ever remark on the weight thing. And delete the word ‘chubby’ from your vocabulary.

- Say ‘you never call me’.
Well, you could have picked up the phone and called up if you wanted to be in touch. And oh, there is no such thing as , ‘I always call’. If you’ve always called then why stop?

- Criticize your friends friends.
It’s bad enough to criticize your friends. Criticizing your friends friends is even worse coz you don’t realize what a spot you are putting your friend into.

- Turn your vices to virtues.
Let me be honest here – most vices are perception based. Here are just some vices which tick me off when people go gloating about :
1) “I am soooooooo lazy”.
2) “I can drink like a fish“.
3) “I can watch TV all day long”.
4) “I love gossips.”
5) “I am brutally honest”.

- Say “why didn’t you tell me about it earlier!”
Hell, because :
1) I didn’t want to.
2) I didn’t think you were important enough.
3) Maybe, I was so damn busy that I freakin’ didn’t have time to put my thoughts together let alone tell you about it you nut !!

- Never pay a compliment.
There HAS to be something nice that one can notice and say to a friend / colleague / acquaintance / family. Why be miserly or be so wrapped up in your own achievements, possessions etc that you can’t find time to recognize goodness in others? I have always believed that a small compliment goes a long way to strengthen bonds.

- Tell someone ‘you’ve changed’ when his/her reaction to something you say is not what you expect it to be.
C’mon, face it … EVERYONE changes. I would be a damn fool to expect a friend to be the same since the last time we met / talked. Hell, I am not even the same person I was yesterday. My views, my attitude, my likings can all change overnight and yet that gives you no authority to judge me or accuse me of ‘changing’.
Brings to mind this quote by Maugham : “We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person.”

- To not call or show up if there’s been bereavement or any kind of unfortunate event in the lives of people you know.
I think most of the times people don’t call up / show up because they feel uncomfortable dealing with a situation like this. Not knowing what to say or do can be quite tricky, true, but there is nothing like a call or an arm around your friend’s shoulder in such times of distress. You can say the most clichéd things (“I am there for you”, “don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything”, “be brave” etc ) as awkwardly as you want and it will be appreciated beyond words.

- To forget to congratulate your friend / family for achieving any kind of milestones in life.
Can’t really advocate this one because I have been a sinner myself. But I strongly believe that joys double when shared.

- To be indecisive / keep it hanging.

I hate it when people can't make up their mind about a simple thing like, replying to an invite. Yes / No are perfectly acceptable answers. Save your indecisiveness for other tougher decisions in life that need serious pondering.

To be continued ...