10 Signs You're The Chandler Bing Of Your Friend Group

May 2024 · 6 minute read

He is self-conscious, neurotic, yet unbelievably lovable: Chandler Bing from Friends brings a sense of realism and sardonic sense of humor to his friend group. He works at a 9-5 job he doesn't really care about, he makes decent money, and he clearly has some pressing issues that he should be resolving.

Related: 15 Times Monica And Chandler Were A Way Better Couple Than Ross And Rachel

While Rachel changed the most in terms of independence, Chandler grew the most emotionally. He always had his life under control, but the same couldn't be said about his self-esteem. Every friend group has a Chandler type and here are the telltale signs that give the Chandlers of the world away.

10 You're The Smart One

Chandler went to Columbia University where he met Ross. He is the most adult of them all when we meet the group in season 1. He has a job and it's clear that he is a professional in his field. Chandler is smart, witty, and he knows how to handle money.

Chandlers of the groups are the ones with reliable, well-paying jobs. They don't necessarily like what they do, but they're not the types that like risks. Chandler surprised us by the end of the series: he followed his heart and switched fields.

9 You're Desperate For Love

Chandler never ever shows his emotions, but he did make a point of admitting that he is desperate for love. He is very self-aware, but until he starts dating Monica, he doesn't really have much luck in love. He is so afraid of being abandoned that he pushes his romantic interests away before they get a chance.

Have you ever found yourself dating someone you don't even like all that much? Because that's exactly what happened to Chandler due to his hopeless desire to be loved. He dated Janice, even though he couldn't stand her. And he wasn't very successful with his other love interests, either.

8 You Believe In Your Friends

Chandler might come across as mean due to his sarcasm, but he actually really believes in his friends and supports them. Quite literary: he financially supported Joey for ages. He wanted his friend to pursue his dream and it actually did come true!

Do you believe in your friends too? Do you think they're the greatest, even when they are struggling in life? You might not say I love you a lot, but you sure care about your friends from the bottom of your heart.

7 You Hate The Holidays

Chandler is incredibly resistant to the idea that the group celebrates Thanksgiving together because he has such bad memories from childhood. In this regard, he is similar to Phoebe. But unlike her, he hasn't really processed his trauma and still experiences  emotional flashbacks from time to time.

When Thanksgiving or Christmas roll around, do you wallow in sad memories or are you excited to make new ones with your awesome group of friends? We all know which one means that you're the Chandler.

6 You're Socially Awkward

One of the most glaring issues is Chandler's use of humor. It's pretty clear that he uses it as a defense mechanism to prevent people getting too close to him, which was also pointed out by Phoebe's boyfriend the psychiatrist.

Chandler is very well aware of the situation. One time, he introduced himself by saying: "I'm Chandler, I make jokes when I'm uncomfortable". Do you excessively laugh or make jokes when you feel awkward? Do you flail with your arms and accidentally punch people? It's okay. Just try to relax, Chandler.

5 Your Friends Accept You The Way You Are

If you're Chandler, you have a pretty amazing group of friends. They hold space for you, even though you clearly hate yourself and you feel uneasy around everybody, even your friends sometimes.

When people are too negative, cynical, and fearful, their friends tend to push them away. But not Chandler: Joey in particular always made a point to be there for him.

4 No One Knows What's Your Job

Not knowing what Chandler does for a living is a running joke; it's even a part of one of the highest rated episodes of Friends where Monica and Rachel lose their flat in a bet because they didn't know how to answer what Chandler's job is. All they knew is that he has a briefcase.

Chandler worked in a sector that was very new back then, so even his friends didn't understand what exactly it meant that he worked with data. Do your friends have any idea what your workday looks like? If not, you're Chandler.

3 Your Friends Like To Make Fun Of You

Chandler is teased for the silliest little things, like his name and because he has a third nipple. Because he feels secure in his friendships, he doesn't let the joking get to him. They always know when to stop, so it never turns into bullying.

Related: 15 Of The Most Hilarious Chandler Bing Quotes

Are you teased for a certain personality trait or something you've done once? If you're the go-to person everybody likes to make fun of a bit, you're Chandler.

2 You Can't Stand Conflict

If you think you're Chandler of the group, you probably can't stand conflict. And by conflict, we don't mean screaming matches; we mean communicating your wishes or desires to someone who can't read your mind. Chandler couldn't bring himself to tell his coworkers that his friend is not Toby and he resorted to lying instead of facing his problems head-on.

Related: Friends: 25 Things That Make No Sense About Chandler’s Relationships

If you'd break up with your partner by telling them you're moving to Yemen rather than telling them the truth, you're Chandler.

1 You Pretend A Lot

Similar to the point made above, Chandler often pretends to be interested in things he actually doesn't care about. He doesn't care about sports and would rather watch parades on TV, but he still watches sports with Joey and Ross to seem like one of the guys.

How well do your friends really know you? Do you just go along listening to their music and watching their kind of TV shows even though you couldn't care less about any of that stuff? Don't waste too much of your life doing things you don't actually want to do, since that breeds resentment.

Next: Friends: Rachel, Monica, And Phoebe’s Greatest Love Interests, Ranked

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