Have you ever felt taken for granted by a friend?

Do you find yourself always making the effort?

Today, Jay dives into the delicate line between real and fake friendships, revealing the subtle cues that help us identify who truly has our best interests at heart. He explains that genuine friends honor your boundaries, celebrate your authenticity, and encourage your growth, while superficial friends may pressure you into compliance, keep score, gossip, or feel threatened by your success. Drawing on psychological insights around attachment styles, envy, and social debt, Jay highlights how friendship dynamics are less about labeling people as good or bad, and more about recognizing behaviors that either uplift or drain us.

Jay reminds us that true friendship is grounded in honesty, generosity, and shared growth. Real friends don’t keep score, they celebrate your wins as their own and stand beside you through every change. Most importantly, Jay challenges us to reflect on how we show up for others, emphasizing that being a genuine friend requires patience, compassion, and courage. This conversation isn’t just about recognizing fake friends; it’s about becoming the kind of friend who makes others feel seen, valued, and safe..

In this episode, you'll learn:

How to Spot a Fake Friend

How to Protect Your Boundaries

How to Handle Envy in Friendships

How to Know If You’re “Too Much” or “Not Enough”

How to Build Friendships That Grow With You

How to Be a Real Friend

When we surround ourselves with people who celebrate our growth, and choose to show up for others in the same way, we build friendships that not only endure but also bring out the best in who we are meant to become.

With Love and Gratitude,

Jay Shetty

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Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro

01:07 Are Your Friendships Genuine?

02:20 #1: Watch How They Handle Your Boundaries

08:50 #2: Are They Keeping Score?

12:39 #3: Share Your Good News and See How They React

17:48 #4: Do They Make You Feel Like You're ‘Too Much?’

19:43 #5: Observe How They Talk About Others

23:04 #6: Do They Want the Best From You or For You?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you think fame makes people happy?

Would you give up money for peace of mind?

Today, Jay sits down with Emma Watson, actress, activist, and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, for a rare and deeply personal conversation. Beloved around the world as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, Emma has since become a powerful voice for gender equality and sustainability. In this exclusive interview, Emma reflects on her decision to step away from Hollywood and shares how time for study and self-discovery has allowed her to redefine success, find fulfillment, and reclaim her voice.

Emma shares the challenges of growing up in the public eye, carrying enormous responsibility from such a young age, and the courage it took to step back from a thriving career to prioritize her health and personal growth. She reflects on how fame blurred the lines between who she was and the roles she played, and how learning to embrace vulnerability, discomfort, and imperfection has become central to her growth.

Together, Jay and Emma explore the power of speaking truth with kindness, the importance of creating art from personal experience, and why building authentic relationships rooted in honesty and care matters more than any external achievement.

In this interview, you'll learn:

How to Be Honest With Yourself

How to Learn From Discomfort

How to Embrace Failure as a Starting Point

How to Separate Who You Are From What You Do

How to Build Truly Supportive Friendships

How to Step Away While Staying True to Yourself

How to Speak Truth With Kindness

How to Live Aligned With Your Values

Every day is a chance to pause, return to what matters most, and take even the smallest step toward living with honesty and purpose. You’re allowed to evolve, to begin again, and to create a life that feels whole and meaningful, one choice, one conversation, one truth at a time.

With Love and Gratitude,

Jay Shetty

Join over 750,000 people to receive my most transformative wisdom directly in your inbox every single week with my free newsletter. Subscribe here.

Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro

02:35 Choosing to Show Up for Yourself

05:50 Designing a Life You Truly Enjoy

09:09 Admitting When Life is Challenging

11:06 Rediscovering the Joy of Learning

17:27 Why Discomfort Can Be Your Greatest Teacher

21:13 Taking Accountability With Grace and Courage

23:10 Sensitivity as Your Superpower

26:16 Lessons From a Nontraditional Childhood

30:38 Do You Still Need the Spotlight?

34:16 The Healing Power of Taking a Pause

41:38 Living Under Intense Public Pressure

44:55 Living Between Two Worlds

49:15 How Did You Become Hermione?

54:03 Separating Self From the Role You Play

57:54 The Hidden Cost of Never Slowing Down

01:07:40 Dating is Complicated For Everyone!

01:09:57 Revealing the Real You to Others

01:11:44 Emma’s One-Woman Play

01:20:08 What is Real Love?

01:26:27 Finding Love Beyond the Fantasy

01:32:35 Facing the Question: Why Are You Not Married Yet?

01:38:47 Trust Versus Telling the Truth

01:41:29 Choosing Partnership, Not Obligation

01:44:56 Asking Yourself the Hard Questions

01:48:25 How Fame Reshapes Everyday Life

01:51:44 What Did It Really Take to Step Away?

01:56:45 Learning to Trust Your Inner Voice

02:00:21 Loving Yourself Without Judgment

02:05:45 Finding Acceptance in Community

02:08:00 What Makes a Real Friend?

02:13:58 What Work Are You Avoiding?

02:32:20 Honoring the People Who Shape Us

02:44:01 Remembering Our Shared Humanity

Episode Resources:

Emma Watson | Instagram

Emma Watson | Facebook

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.