You're having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start critizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she's your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do?
i'd subtly perceive them that my close friend isn't any close to being someone like that, but i'd act as if i wasn't close to this close friend of mine. they'll reconsider their thoughts, considering that the said criticized friend has a different side of them which they'd never seen before, plus, told by an acquaintance of this mocked friend who have witnessed that very side of them. win-win solution.