On Borrowing & Lending Published Tue Jan 08 08:00:00 SAST 2013

“Neither a borrower nor a lender be,
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.”
— Polonius, Hamlet Act 1, scene 3, 75–77

We have all loaned precious belongings to friends who lost, damaged, broke, or kept them. Unfortunately, those belongings valuable enough to be borrowed often carry great sentimental or monetary value.

Broken property and trust result in feelings of anger, dismay, disappointment and resentment: precursors to a lending feud. Off-the-cuff comments follow the borrower's reputation wherever you go:

"Oh...John? That guy ruined my suit jacket," with a snort of borrower's regret.

But lending does not imply transfer of ownership, and ownership implies taking responsibility.

Your property? Your responsibility. --

Don't get angry when people break your shit. Just don't loan things to negligent borrowers.

To maintain your reputation as a good borrower, you should always replace damaged loan items. However, the responsibility still lies with the owner who loaned it out. Conversely,

Money & Interest -- Always repay borrowed money with interest, even if it is refused. This makes it easier to borrow in future.

What is your sense of responsibility when borrowing and lending?