Disagreeing with your friend doesn’t end the friendship. Being unable to is a bigger red flag.

Friendships that cannot survive disagreement are not close, only quiet. Being able to say you think somebody is wrong and still be there on Friday is what separates a real tie from a pleasant arrangement. The worrying sign is not the argument; it is discovering you cannot risk one, that any honest difference feels like it would end the whole thing.

Say one true, mildly inconvenient thing to a friend this week. Keep it kind and specific. Then watch what happens, because that tells you more about the friendship than agreeing ever would.