Be careful with anyone in a hurry to be your best friend by Wednesday. Real friendship doesn’t sprint.

Intensity early on is not the same as closeness. Someone who arrives at full warmth within days has usually not learned enough about you to feel that much, which means the feeling is about something other than you. Real fondness accumulates, and it can be checked against time.

Enjoy the warmth without matching it straight away. Notice how the person behaves when you are less available, when you disagree, or when there is nothing to gain. Let a friendship take the months it takes, and be glad rather than sorry when it does.