A new study out of England found that your MEANEST friend might just care about you more than anyone else.
And the reason they're being mean is because they really, really want what's best for you in life, so they're not going to mince words when they feel like you're straying off a good path.
The researchers say, quote, "These findings . . . help us to understand why we sometimes may try to make our loved ones feel bad, if we perceive this emotion to be useful to achieve a goal."