Things have been really shitty with my best friend for about 4 weeks now. He barely responds to my messages anymore, and when we happen to run into each other, he's super distant. We never had any big fights or anything before, so I have no idea what's going on. Should I just ask him directly about it or wait until he says something on his own?
Have you done or said anything recently that might have rubbed him the wrong way - even unintentionally? I'd talk to him about it, but not in drama mode, just keep it casual like "Hey, I've noticed things feel different between us lately - is everything okay with you?" That takes the pressure off and gives him space to explain himself instead of putting him on the defensive.
I'd bring it up directly. If you two normally got along well, waiting will just make things more awkward for both of you. After 4 weeks you can assume it won't go away on its own - either something's on his mind that he's not talking about, or there's a reason you don't know about. If you wait for him to say something, the silence could just drag on even longer and you'll both end up frustrated.
But keep it relaxed. Not confrontational like "hey why are you ignoring me," more like in person or on a call (not just a message, that feels too impersonal): "hey I've noticed things have felt weird between us lately. Everything okay with you? Did I do something wrong?" That way you're giving him a chance to explain without it feeling like an accusation. Sometimes people just have their own problems and withdraw without realizing it, sometimes it's a misunderstanding - either way, open communication helps way more than just guessing.
Waiting will probably make things worse, but confronting him directly doesn't have to mean calling him out - try starting with a casual invite to do something together (movie, sports, pizza), where you don't have to do the whole face-to-face talk thing, and see how he reacts. People often open up way faster in a relaxed atmosphere than in some serious conversation.
Is there anything you might have forgotten or that could have seemed weird to him?
In any case, you should bring it up, but not via text message. That's way too easy to misunderstand and it also comes across as accusatory really quick. Better to meet him in person or give him a call - that way you can actually see how he reacts and ask follow-up questions instead of just guessing. The other answers are right that waiting just makes things worse, but there's one thing I think is important: Be prepared for the possibility that there might be something on your end that you didn't realize. Sometimes stupid misunderstandings happen where you don't know what's bothering the other person. That doesn't mean you did something wrong, but being open to hearing it makes all the difference when you bring it up.
Keep it casual, not dramatic. Confronting him directly just comes across as defensive. Just say that you've noticed things feel weird between you two and that you want to know if everything's okay. If he has a hard time talking about it, he can still clam up - but the chance that he'll open up if you don't come across as attacking is just bigger.
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