From the author: Competition, envy, sincere empathy: what lies in relationships between women? Recently I had the opportunity to attend a wedding. A distant relative of my husband was getting married, so I knew the young couple rather superficially, but the status of a family member, as they say, is obligatory. As often happens at weddings, all relatives and guests tried not to lose face, so the banquet hall shimmered with the splendor of assorted outfits (evening and not so), reminiscent of a catwalk and a corporate party at the same time. After several unsuccessful attempts to lull the image consultant inside me, I relaxed and began to observe, fortunately there was something to watch. Of course, you always want to get a better look at “the other side,” that is, representatives of the still unknown half of the “relatives.” Looking at the outfits, suits, and hairstyles floating in front of me, I was once again convinced how appearance, together with manners of behavior, can reveal a person’s character, tell his story, forever leaving in memory the first impression, which, as we know, is very difficult to change. Almost immediately, my attention was drawn to a large female figure, dressed in a snow-white dress of a Greek silhouette: “floor-length”, with drapery, gold ornaments and a high waist, emphasizing the already significant advantages of its owner. In general, the spectacle is mesmerizing, especially in contrast with the painful thinness of the man accompanying the lady. I admit honestly - the next day I tried for a long time to remember the style of the wedding dress, in fact, the bride herself... My recent experience once again confirms not only the peculiarity of human perception and memory, but also simple norms of etiquette: if you are a bridesmaid, you should not outshine her with your outfit! In the practice of my work as an image consultant, it happens that a woman who changes her style and image does it out of a desire to rub the nose of her “sworn girlfriends.” Well, as the American writer Laurie Colvin once said: “friendship is impossible between two women, one of whom dresses very well.” Let's rephrase this expression: if you are a friend of the bride, then gain wisdom and tact, and let HER shine. Someday this finest hour will happen in your life too! I must say that for a girl - both young and “not so young”, any celebration is a great occasion to be convinced of the sincerity and care of her friends, because to be “in the background” - a position that is psychologically not entirely comfortable for almost any woman, - requires wisdom and certain life experience (not each of the girlfriends, especially unmarried ones, will internally agree to become a “backdrop” for the bride!) The deep unconscious essence of a woman is to attract attention, which, of course, comes contrary to the “supporting role”. To be fair, it’s worth emphasizing: standing out from the crowd is an unconscious need, so you shouldn’t blame your friends for being too bright and extravagant without understanding it. Although...Women's friendship is a very vague concept. It is not for nothing that there are a lot of aphorisms that reflect this complex phenomenon in different ways: • Friendship is friendship, but men are apart. • Women don't count their years. Their friends do it for them. • No one will judge a woman like two people together will judge a third... • If you want to know a girl’s shortcomings, praise her in front of her friends. • Female friendship is when two women envy each other silently, etc. Yes, friendship is a kind of work. Building relationships here is as difficult as in marriage - to compromise on something, to turn a blind eye to something. In any case, it is a balance of opposites “take and give”, the violation of which leads to the collapse of any relationship. It is important to remember that “male” and “female” friendships are based on different things. Men are friends when they have something in common (business, hobby). Female friendship is always built according to the formula “we have a common problem” (husbands are divorced or cheating, the child is sick, there is nothing to wear, etc.). No common