Being okay with someone being mad at you for a while is a skill. It’s the price of having boundaries at all.

Most people fold not because they were persuaded but because they cannot sit inside somebody’s displeasure. Knowing that about yourself explains a surprising number of past decisions. Tolerating a few days of coldness is what makes a limit real, because any boundary somebody can dissolve by sulking was only ever a preference. It is uncomfortable and it is not dangerous.

Next time you hold a line and somebody goes quiet, do not explain it again or sweeten it. Let a few days pass without chasing them, and notice that the friendship survives.