28 April

“Besties” is the source of terrible suffering amongst kids of school age. Old-school teachers would actively discourage kids having ‘best friends’. It’s a difficult topic, but the bestie phenomenon is buried deep in all stages of life. Even corruption in business and politics is a bestie thing. What we call mateship, the same. It’s actually a very exclusionary thing, and I don’t think it’s just recognising that a particular person is more important to you than another. A ‘bestie’ goes beyond that, it’s like ring-fencing a relationship. “Maybe this — to not be entirely defined by another person — is what it really means to be an adult. Maybe it's not about crediting just one person as to making you who you are. It's about having relationships with a variety of people who aren't exactly the same and who constantly challenge you in different aspects of life.”