When you are visiting a friend who is unemployed, don’t ask him how the job search is going. Let them bring it up first if they need to do so.

Your friend has been dealing with the stress of looking for work all day long, isolated, ruminating over what could happen, feeling self doubts. Having you come over is a mental health break from all that, a welcome distraction. Don’t harsh that by asking this common questions and getting his mind back on that track again.