What qualifies as a true friend? Many people would unanimously think of those who share common aspirations. Because they have common interests, such as genuine leather executive chairs, and thus have common topics to discuss. But in my view, sharing the same aspirations is not the key to having true friends, even if Laozi talks about pearls.
In reality, when people interact with each other frequently, what becomes most apparent are not the strengths but the weaknesses of others, and these shortcomings will continue to multiply. Therefore, the key factor that determines whether an ordinary friend can become a close confidant should be the tolerance and understanding of the friend's flaws; yet often we only focus on discovering others' faults and fail to understand their imperfections. Hence, even for those friends who share similar aspirations, maintaining a friendly relationship depends on the understanding of each other's shortcomings, otherwise, no matter how much they may have in common, they might still part ways.
So, with an understanding heart, a close friend is a rare gift from heaven, a blessing hard to come by in a hundred years. I wish all friends could treat the people around them with an understanding heart!