Friend or foe?

We’re talking not only about pairs of lovers, but also about relations among friends, co-workers, and neighbors. So, not just where there is or was love or affection, but also working and/or living together. It can be hard to get along. Ways of thinking, organizing, planning can be similar at the start, but then, with time, goals can change or unexpected/unpredictable obstacles may arise that break the equilibria created easily or with effort. What do you do? Always try to avoid unpleasant situations? Try again, re-order the pieces and go back to planning together? Forget about it all and maybe start again with different situations or people? What do you think?

 

TEST

 

1) The double of sei (in Italian, “sei” means both “you are” and “six”) is

 

a) twelve

 

b) we are

 

c) six six

 

2) There’s tension at work and you don’t know why

 

a) ignore it

 

b) ask what’s going on

 

c) try to cheer everyone up

 

3) Which proverb do you prefer?

 

a) good fences make good neighbors

 

b) with friends like that, who needs enemies?

 

c) a good friend is worth their weight in gold

 

4) When you receive a gift, you

 

a) accept with gratitude

 

b) check the price on the web

 

c) think about how to reciprocate

 

5) You’re playing with your 10-year-old son

 

a) you let him win

 

b) you’re better and he has to accept it

 

c) if he’s better, you have to accept it

 

6) Your partner gets home late. You think

 

a) he/she is having an affair

 

b) was out with friends

 

c) had to work

 

7) When your partner gets home, you ask questions

 

a) about work

 

b) about his/her enjoyable evening

 

c) “trick questions” for clues

 

8) A friend asks you a favor. You reply

 

a) if I can, gladly

 

b) it’s not a good time

 

c) of course

 

9) The dates of your friends’ birthdays

 

a) you have written down

 

b) you remember them

 

c) you don’t remember them

 

10) The gate to the garden of a house is open

 

a) dangerous people can enter

 

b) the owners are hospitable

 

c) the owners are careless

 

11) They give you a somewhat difficult task

 

a) you do it as soon as possible

 

b) you put it off

 

c) you refuse it

 

12) You hear music. You’d like to

 

a) move

 

b) play

 

c) sing

 

13) The best gift is

 

a) long-lasting

 

b) beautiful

 

c) personalized

 

14) You have an appointment but you’ll get there late because of a traffic jam

 

a) I’ll make it up to them

 

b) it’s not my fault

 

c) they’ll wait for me

 

15) The best vacations

 

a) with lots of friends

 

b) a chance to meet new people

 

c) the fewer, the better

 

SCORE

 

Questions A B C

 

1) 2 3 1

 

2) 1 3 2

 

3) 2 1 3

 

4) 2 1 3

 

5) 3 2 1

 

6) 1 3 2

 

7) 2 3 1

 

8) 2 1 3

 

9) 2 3 1

 

10) 1 3 2

 

11) 3 2 1

 

12) 1 3 2

 

13) 2 1 3

 

14) 3 2 1

 

15) 3 2 1

 

EXPLANATION

 

45 TO 36 POINTS: APPRECIATE

 

You believe that personal relations are very important, and that while ending them is always possible, it is the last option to consider. You think it’s much more productive to build and keep working to maintain and strengthen what you already have, which at times cost you a lot of effort to achieve.

 

35 TO 26 POINTS: CONSERVE

 

There may be differences of opinion, even conflicts, but you try to find a common ground. You think that if each side is willing to give something up, to reconsider, the result will have greater value than before, to everyone’s benefit.

 

25 TO 15 POINTS: QUIT

 

When there are differences of opinion, you think it’s not worth getting involved or that nothing can be done. You believe it’s best to quit and start again somewhere else. Are you really sure that if you don’t look for a solution now, the same problems won’t reappear tomorrow?

 

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