The "No" Test. I was his "best friend" for ten whole years. I lent money when I didn't even have enough for bread myself. I would arrive in the middle of the night to fix his car. I would listen to his complaints for hours, forgetting about my own problems. I was called "brother" and "savior," and I believed this was true closeness. But one day, for the first time, I said "no." I simply didn't have the capacity for him: debts had piled up, my mother was ill, and I had run out of strength. I expected understanding, but instead saw something terrifying. My "brother's" face instantly turned icy. The accusations poured out: "You've changed! You don't care about your friends! What a selfish person you are!" In one second, I went from being a best friend to a complete stranger. That's when I understood: I wasn't loved. I was being used. I was "good" only as long as I was a convenient tool. As soon as the tool stopped working, it was thrown into the trash. You can help people for years, but remember: you can never "tame" them. Someone who is used to only taking eventually stops asking—they begin to demand. As the great philosopher Immanuel Kant said: "He who makes himself a worm cannot complain afterwards when he is trampled underfoot." If a person does not accept your refusal with respect, it means their entire kind attitude was merely payment for your services. Do not be afraid to say "no"—it is the only way to see who is truly standing before you.