A: Absolutely. Some people would say that it depends upon the value of the object that was ruined, but that simply isn’t true. The value isn’t nearly as important as setting the precedent. Maybe your friend accidentally breaks something that only cost you two dollars. That doesn’t seem like much and you will be tempted to say, “Forget about it. It wasn’t expensive.” But what happens if they break something else? They will expect you to let that go as well! Everybody has a different idea of what “expensive” means. Where do you draw the line? If you let the little things go you are setting your friendship up for hardships further down the line.
Not to mention, if you have an accident prone friend you could be setting up a potential line of future revenue. If you get tired of some of your stuff and it’s just taking up room you won’t be able to sell it used for its original value. But if you can get your friend to borrow it and then break it… Well, that seems like a terrible opportunity to waste.
Resentment can kill even a healthy relationship, so establish the rules of the friendship early. And never fail to take advantage of golden opportunities.
