I want to talk about my friend Deniz, who I've known since our first year at university in Izmir, in Turkey. We studied economics together, and now we both work in Istanbul, although at different banks.
We've been friends for about seven years, and I'd say we've disagreed for about seven years too. It's almost a running joke between us. We disagree about big things and small things. On the big side, he thinks people should buy a flat as early as possible, even if it means borrowing heavily, whereas I think renting and investing makes more sense for young people. On the small side, we argue about football, about whether a film was good, and even about the best way to make Turkish coffee.
So why are we still friends? I think it's because our arguments are never personal. Deniz always attacks the idea, not me, and he actually listens to my answer instead of just waiting for his turn to talk. A few times he's even said, "Okay, you're right about that," which is rarer than you'd think. I've changed my mind because of him too. I used to think saving money was enough, but he persuaded me to start a pension plan in my first job.
Honestly, I find most people who agree with everything I say quite boring after a while. With Deniz, every conversation makes me check my reasons. If I can't defend an opinion against him, it probably isn't a very good opinion. And underneath the debates, he's incredibly loyal. When my father was in hospital last year, he was the first person at the door.