My closest friend from college and I used to challenge each other's thinking all the time and it made us both better, but since we've gotten older and more settled we've started protecting each other from disagreement. I miss the version of our friendship where we could say hard things to each other.
More people experience this than they realize.
The impulse to preserve harmony can gradually erode the very friction that makes a friendship generative.
“Where Are You with Hobbies, Recreation & Leisure?”
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.