Dropping Your Guard: The Value of Open FriendshipsIn a world that focuses on images, sound bites, and quick impressions, we have forgotten how to really know one another. Many of us recoil from true intimacy. Author Charles Swindollw writes,"Full self disclosure is something we tend to avoid at all costs. In fact, we are prone to keep people out of our private worlds by wearing masks? not physical masks? but psychological ones." For example . . . The "I'm tough" mask hides weakness and fear. The "I'm