Shit sucks and is bad for the brain
I have a different class position from most of my old friends and sometimes it gets dicey. I’ve always been saying “I declare war on anyone who exploits and oppresses the community!” and now that my friends are more well-off they’re saying, “But Wertheimer, I exploit and oppress the community!” (Or however we should interpret “but my husband is an ethical landlord.”)
Unless I accidentally break the ceasefire by re-provoking the argument, I think my friend’s strategy at this point is imply without lying outright that the venture didn’t pan out.