Use of English

Friends and Success

It is often said that no one achieves lasting success in complete (0) ISOLATION, and there is much truth in that claim. Friends can provide encouragement, honest feedback and the kind of emotional support that helps people persevere when plans go (1) .......... . They may also open doors by sharing contacts, advice and opportunities that would otherwise remain out of (2) .......... . In that sense, friendship can be a decisive factor in personal and professional progress. Yet success can also alter the balance within a friendship. The moment one person begins to prosper, admiration may gradually give (3) .......... to envy, and support may become mixed with self-interest. A friend who once seemed generous may start to make subtle demands, appeal to loyalty, or try to influence decisions under the (4) .......... of concern. Because trust is already in place, such behaviour is often hard to detect at first. For this reason, successful people need to be alert without becoming cynical. True friends respect boundaries and do not seek to cash (5) .......... on another person's achievements. Nor do they make affection (6) .......... on favours, access or status. The healthiest friendships are those in which both people can celebrate success freely, without trying to gain an (7) .......... advantage from it. In the end, wisdom lies in knowing when to lean (8) .......... friends and when to question their motives.