Global Breaking News - Saturday, October 10, 2026

 
 It is sometimes said that borrowing money from a friend can harm or damage the friendship. Do you agree or disagree? Use reasons and specific examples to explain your answer.

People constantly overestimate the depth of personal relationships when money enters into the equation. Many people may debate this point, arguing that true friendship should be strong enough to withstand any undue influence. However, as people become more self-centered and shallow I believe that borrowing money from a friend can only harm or irrevocably damage a friendship. Borrowing money from friends is a bad idea since friendships are generally based on trust and familiarity, something that is destroyed by borrowing money.
* constantly = 계속, 지속해서 / overestimate = 과대평가하다 / depth = 깊이 / personal relationships = 개인적 인간관계 / equation = (여러가지 요소들을 고려해야 하는) 상황, 문제 / debate = 토론하다, 토의하다 / true friendship = 참된 우정 / withstand = 견디다, 이겨내다 / undue influence = 부당 위압 / self-centered = 자기 중심의, 이기적인 / shallow = 얕은, 피상적인 / irrevocably = 변경할 수 없게 / familiarity = 익숙함, 친근함

First, borrowing money from a friend can destroy the trust that has been built up. Friendship is built on trust of a complete stranger, something very different from family relationships. These relationships are generally very fragile, regardless of whether they have been build up over several years. The trust in a friendship can be destroyed in a single instance of a broken promise to repay money that was borrowed. Even the reason for borrowing the money in the first place may destroy the trust between friends. For example, in high school I lent money to someone I had considered a friend. I later found out that they had simply preferred to spend someone else's money for lunch rather than their own.
* destroy = 파괴하다 / trust = 신뢰 / a complete stranger = 전혀 모르는 사람 / family relationships = 가족관계 / fragile = 깨지기 쉬운, 부서지기 쉬운 / regardless of = ~에 상관없이, 관계없이 / broken promise = 파약, 깨진 약속 / repay = 갚다, 상환하다 / in the first place = 우선, 처음에, 맨 첫째로 / find out = 알게 되다  

Second, borrowing money from a friend can destroy the familiarity between both people. I had previously borrowed money from a college friend to pay my rent after being laid off. The next day my friend began to pester me a minimum of four times a day about getting paid back. I began to feel that $400 was more important to my friend than my ability to stay at university. After a week of being almost stalked I felt so awkward around my friend that I simply borrowed money from my parents to pay him back. After getting a new job a week later, I found I had little interest in staying friends simply because I felt to awkward with my previous friend. My friend eventually picked up on this and we both began to avoid each other, no longer friends.
* previously = 이전에, 미리 / rent = 집세, 임차료 / lay off = 해고하다 / pester = 성가시게 하다, 괴롭히다, 조르다 / pay back = 갚다, 돌려주다 / stalk = 쫓아다니며 괴롭히다, 스토킹하다 / awkward = 곤란한, 불편한, 힘든 / eventually = 결국 / pick up on = 알아차리다, 이해하다 / avoid = 피하다

In short, while people may occasionally need to borrow money to cover unexpected expenses, I believe that borrowing money from a friend is an extremely poor idea. Borrowing money from a friend can destroy the mutual trust that has been built up and make both people feel awkward rather than comfortable with each other.
* occasionally = 가끔, 때때로 / unexpected expense = 예상 밖의 비용 / extremely = 극단적으로 / mutual trust = 상호 신뢰