A spring scale stretches more the more you hang on it. So do people. Watch how much you load onto someone.

People stretch in proportion to what gets hung on them. A spring scale is honest about this, which makes it a better model than the way we usually treat each other, because a person under load does not come with a dial showing how far they have gone. They stretch quietly and look fine right up until something gives. The reliable friend is the one most likely to be overloaded.

Consider who you lean on most. Ask them this week what they are carrying, and take one thing off the hook.