Then again, why pretend? True friendship is never afraid of an occasional free-for-all. If you can't get a healthy dose of righteous indignance and pettiness from a friend, where can you get it?

Sure, it's nice to have some positive-thinkers and Buddhists in the wings to put a good spin on things, but these types also end up telling you all about how attractive and entertaining your ex's new flame is, or encouraging you not to be completely honest about how angry and fucked up you feel. Who needs that? It's one thing to try to improve yourself and your attitude. It's another thing to deny that you're a human being.

Let's face it. When the shit really hits the fan, there's nothing like a friend who can get even nastier and more worked up about the indignities you've suffered than you are.