Keep the friend who’ll give you bad news before it goes viral.

Most people will not tell you the unflattering thing. It is awkward, you might react badly, and staying quiet costs them nothing, so they let you find out the way everyone else does. The rare friend who says it early is doing something genuinely difficult, and the correction is worth far more before an audience is involved.

When somebody tells you something you did not want to hear, notice your first reaction and do not act on it. Say thank you, badly if necessary. That response determines whether they ever do it again.