9 Sacred Friendship Killers

Pacts of sinful delight, explicit accounts of bedroom romps and copycatting are just some of the friendship rituals that could destroy your closest relationships.

- Marcus Gomez

1 MAKING SINFUL PACTS

Friends are meant to be supportive of each other’s goals. Should one’s will grow weak, the other ought to step in and take charge of the situation. Later, you’ll both be glad at having resisted the devil successfully, and your friendship will be stronger. Otherwise, the sense of failure can overpower even the best intentions.

2 SHARING EVERYTHING

Make-up. Hairbrushes. Jeans (when they fit). Nail clippers. Even bras, should the occasion demand it. Nothing much is strictly personal between you and your best friend. You share everything… and you’re proud of it. It goes to show how much you trust each other. But while letting her use your lipstick at a party because she forgot to bring her own may be okay, there are some things in your handbag that must remain strictly yours alone, simply because it is not safe. You trust her with your life, of course. But she may unwittingly pass some terrible disease to you without even knowing it.

Certain viruses like Hepatitis B and C and even herpes can spread through shared toothbrushes, razor blades and nail clippers. Fungal infections like ringworms can spread by sharing shoes or hairbrushes, and jock itch spreads from sharing clothes. All these, besides many more less serious (but no less unpleasant) contagious rashes can just as easily be contracted at swimming pools and your family dinner table. You may not even know you have something until it is too late, but what are you supposed to say? ‘Sorry, girl. I didn’t know.’ Too late, honey.

3 MIRRORING EACH OTHERS’ LIVES