Real friends tell you when you’re slipping. If nobody ever does, you might have fans, not friends.

Agreement is easy to get and worth very little. A friend who will say the uncomfortable thing has decided that your actual life matters more than the comfort of the afternoon, which is a real cost to them, since you might take it badly. If everyone around you only ever approves, that may mean nothing is wrong. It may also mean you have made it expensive to tell you.

Ask one person you trust what they have been not saying to you. Then, whatever comes, thank them and leave it alone for a day. How you handle the first honest answer decides whether you get a second one.