Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship, and it is far the best ending for one.

Shared laughter tells you something serious about compatibility: what a person finds funny reveals what they notice and what they forgive. It is a quick, honest way in. And when a friendship has run its length, ending in good humor rather than grievance leaves both of you intact. Not every closeness is meant to last, and the way it closes matters as much as the way it opened.

This week, notice who you laugh with easily and give one of them more of your time. If a friendship is quietly finishing, resist the urge to settle a score on the way out. Let the last exchange be a kind one.