Are Your Friends Good For You?

Take our self-assessment quiz to find out if your friends are more helpful or hurtful.

You come home from a horrifying workday and immediately get into a sharp spat with your partner about the bills. When you call your best friend, she:

Listens patiently as you rant, and offers advice when you ask for it. Then tells the joke about the nun and the penguin to get you smiling again.

Immediately devises a three-part plan: Here’s what you should do about it and why.

Says, “Forget about it! Wait until you hear about the day I’ve had.”

All the time. They rarely talk about anything else.

Only when the dirt is really good.

Very rarely. In fact, they’re usually pretty disgusted with gossip.

“Congratulations! Let us know how we can help.”

“Why? You have never been able to lose weight.”

“Well, if you want to lose weight, do what my sister did …”

“Do you want to be laughed at?”

“Yes! Go for it!”

They change the subject — they don’t think you’re being serious.

They take you out to dinner to talk about it, then order a huge dessert and offer you half.

You don’t tell them! They’d just say, “I told you so.”

They ask if you want to talk it over on a walk, and maybe help you pinpoint problem areas.

Don’t know. They never bring it up.

Definitely not. They’ve been lying about it for years.

Absolutely. You’re each other’s witnesses at the scale.

Look at the dessert, then at you, then away.

Ask if you made it, and if they can borrow the recipe.