| Lying to a lifelong friend- what could go irrevocably wrong? |
| Everyone on this board apparently makes $1 million+ a year – it seems like there is A LOT of fibbing going on all around. |
I recommended fibbing as someone who is not wealthy but has wealthy friends. I would appreciate the white lie even if I saw through it. It's would make me feel less guilty and also is a little bit face-saving (it can feel a little bit uncomfortable to be treated very extravagantly by someone who you grew up with, when you know you can never, ever pay them back in kind). I consider the fib for the friend's comfort, not for OP's. |
This! Have a great time, OP. And happy birthday! |
| Using the word fib to describe what you want to do speaks volumes. |
+1 million. You need to let her contribute whatever she offers to contribute, regardless of how you couch the cost of the trip. Even paying with points is paying. |
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It sounds like maybe in your heart you want her to validate your success by knowing how rich you are? And you are waiting for her to acknowledge it? But that’s about you.
I would say it’s points so it isn’t a Lady Bpuntiful thing, but most people are ok being treated, if there isn’t a weird underlying dynamic. |
| Similar situation. I'd lightly fib by saying because I travel so much, I got a really good deal so it's my treat. Don't even mention points. |
Agree. The difference in means is likely to become apparent somehow anyway. |
+1 This is what I would do. I kind of do something like this with my parents who would be loathe to accept any financial assistance from their kids. It's not outright lying, it's just setting a tone to avoid the topic. |
| Oh, maybe say your DH wants to treat both of you? |
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Speaking as someone who goes to these kinds of places and also knows the points game, there is no way I would believe that everything you are planning to pick up was being paid for by points unless you are personally on the road every week (and maybe not even then). So I’d understand you were lying to protect my feels, and that would be a thing.
I wouldn’t create drama about it, but I would understand that our relationship had changed. Since that is what you don’t want, I think telling the truth is a better direction. |
| Lie. I have many friends who make magnitudes less than we do. They know we are wealthy and money is so not a consideration on our friendships but it helps everyone in the relationship to pretend that we are only several times as wealthy as they are. |
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How important is absolute honesty to your friend/friendship?
Many people could care less about the white lies that smooth social spaces--you look great in that, love the haircut, you haven't aged a bit, it's my turn to treat etc even with close friends--but some people just really want the truth and consider their close friendships to be very much the one place where someone is brutally honest no matter what. If you have one of those latter ones, of course just be honest and say, here's the deal--I'm making a lot of money and want to treat us to this but I'm worried it might be weird. Are you okay with it? If your relationship benefits from smoothing over than smooth over. Neither one is better or worse, just suit your action to the person/your relationship. |
| Don't lie. Period. It almost never works out. |