John Nichnlson talks about why we make friends in “Befriending”, and he argues that researches on friendship have established a number of facts. The word “friendship” is misused by many people today. Nodding acquaintances, or persons one meets for the first time. Without even knowing their names are often categorized as “friends”. But in fact, the definition of a true friend is much narrower.
Write an essay of about 500 words on the following topic:
The Value of True Friendship
Humans are social beings by nature. But this is not by choice; it is a matter of survival. Our friendly interactions make us feel that our presence is valued. Good friends are indeed our asset whose influence can make a noticeable change in our lives forever.
In general, friendship is a voluntary relationship. Friendly relationships make us feel that their presence is valued. Friendship on other hand is an equity relationship, where the rule is that what a friend does for you needs to be returned in some form as an emblem of gratitude. Friends seek out each other’s company spending time together. However, while friends wish to spend time together,friendship is typically not experienced as exclusive, such as romantic relationship. What matters most is to get that person out of difficult position or easing their pain.
Friendship is both a source of pleasure and a part of good health. People who have close friends naturally enjoy their company. The concrete emotional benefits they obtain are of equal importance.When something remarkable happens to you, sharing the happiness of the occasion with your friends doubles your joy. On the other hand, in times of trouble and tension, when our spirits are low,unburdening our worries and fears to empathetic friends helps us moderate the stress. Moreover, we may even get some practical suggestions for solving a particular problem.
Friends, in my opinion, are one of the most important things you can have throughout your life. We don’t just merely want friends, we need them. We need that constant companionship; those often thought provoking moments late on a workday night. Those “listening to music so loud in a car that your ear drums could burst” moments are the great parts of life. Without friendship, one cannot be happy though he is well off. Friendship is one of the greatest pleasures that people can enjoy. It is very difficult to find a better definition of friendship than given by the philosopher Aristotle in these words: “Two bodies inhabited by one soul”. True friends find pleasure in each other’s joy and share sorrow in each other’s grief. In times of difficulty, they will offer their help without hesitation.
Good friends allow you to make mistakes and support you anyway. However, they aren’t afraid to say you’re being an idiot. They aren’t afraid of hurting each other’s feelings because good intentions are always obvious. Friends are also our biggest encouragers. They recognize your desire and need to grow and they do so with you. Through growth and change you grow separately so that you can continue to grow together. Friends are there to laugh and cry with you. Isn’t that a wonderful thing? I think so.
The true friends will always be there for you no matter what happens and those are the ones you need to hold on to. Hearing a friend tell you they will always be there for you when you fall is better than being isolated and bearing it all on your own.”