“A good friend is the best mirror.” Irish saying
One of the things about humans is our forward oriented eyesight, an advantage for hunters as it allows us to focus and aim at distinct targets such as food or other goals. The downside of this ability to fixate is that we barely notice things on the periphery, and are vulnerable to attacks from our blindside.
This applies in all areas of our modern life too: we barely notice things at the edge of our field of vision until it is too late. We develop blindspots because we hyper focus, or think in a particular manner and can’t comprehend someone thinking differently in business or relationships. And we are most blind to our own faults.
But a good friend will point out your issues, normally with a smirk or a laugh because they truly do care about you. They will warn you that your spouse looks like they are straying or that your assistant is going to leave you or that your boss is looking at you in a not good way. A good friend will also be like “dude she LIKES you!” or “you should apply for this job, you’d be good at it.”
A good friend isn’t worried about upsetting you in the moment because they know that a true friendship is based on honesty and trust and will last. A good friend wants to see the best version of you, not a fake portrayal that appeals to others in the moment but will harm you in the long range. A good friend wants what is best for you, even if you don’t want it in the moment because it isn’t as fun or comfortable as the alternatives in the short term.
A good friend will call us out and kick our butt and celebrate our victories, all the while believing in us and probably making some jokes along the way but always being there for us. Because a good friend looks out for us and has our back, as we should have theirs.