A few years ago, I made a really stupid mistake.

An acquaintance came to me asking to borrow money, saying they needed some cash flow and would pay me back quickly.
At the time, I actually felt a bit uncomfortable, but I was afraid that refusing would hurt the relationship, so I lent the money.
And what happened?
They didn’t pay back on time, their messages became fewer, their attitude grew colder, and eventually I became the one feeling awkward about asking for repayment.
Until just now, I sent a message and found out I had been blocked.
That moment, I finally understood one thing:
Lending money is essentially a consumption of each other's trust.
Since then, I set a principle for myself:
First, don’t lend money to others.
Second, if someone asks me to borrow money, either refuse outright or treat it as a gift.
No middle ground.
If I feel the person isn’t worth a close relationship, I just refuse.
If I think they are worth it, I set a limit for myself, like within 5000.
As long as it’s within this range, I’ll give it directly if they need it, without mentioning the word “loan.”
Because I’ve already accepted that this money might not come back.
The only benefit of doing this is:
Relationships won’t become strained over money.
You need to understand one thing:
Most relationships that fall apart over borrowing money weren’t that solid to begin with.
So now, I keep it simple:
Either don’t lend at all.
Or give as a gift.
Whether it’s classmates, relatives, friends, or acquaintances, the rules are the same.
Money is a small matter; trust and boundaries are the big issues.