Being liked is easy weight. Being trusted is heavier, and it’s the one worth carrying.

Likeability can be produced by agreeing with people, and it costs nothing to maintain. Being relied upon is a different load: it requires saying the unwelcome thing, keeping commitments after they have become inconvenient, and accepting that some people will find you less easy company. The heavier one is what holds when circumstances get serious.

When the two conflict this week, pick the second. Tell one person something accurate that they would rather not hear, kindly and without drama. You may lose a little warmth now and gain the thing that matters to them later.