My writing group has been meeting for three years and we've become close friends but giving each other honest feedback has gotten harder because we don't want to hurt feelings. Our writing isn't improving because we're prioritizing the relationship over the craft.
More people experience this than they realize.
Intimacy can undermine the very purpose that brought people together when caring about each other conflicts with serving the shared goal.
“Where Are You with Confucian benevolence and social harmony?”
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.