Wednesday, October 12, 2011

The Importance of Friendships

Friends are such a critical part of living a complete and healthy life. Living without them is a miserable way to go through life. Friends spend quality time together, and when they ask me how I am, they care what the answer is. If I am not doing well and I try to pretend I am, true friends can see through that because they care that much. Friendship is love for another person, but not in a physical way. A good way to make friends is to be a friend. Everyone needs friends they can talk to and lean on for support. People who think no one cares about them are wrong, and that perception leads to depression and sometimes suicide. Animals need friends too. I know that our dog certainly needs my friendship, and I need his. His friendship helps me tremendously when I am down. All I have to do is pet him, and it lifts my spirits. I know for sure that I function better when I have people I can lean on. Facebook is great, but talking with friends results in intimate relationships, technology does not. My main point in writing this post is that it is plain unhealthy to isolate. Plus, it is a waste of time. Trust me on that. People who isolate are at higher risk for alzheimers, obesity, lack of excersize, and smoking. Isolating results in the slowing down of cognitive functioning, and it just feels plain shitty. Isolating is a dangerous thing because it is a trap. When I isolate something is wrong, and isolating leaves me trapped in the problem. Do not get me wrong. Alone time is a great thing, but that is not the same as isolating. I think people isolate when they actually need friends the most. Isolating makes it awfully hard to make friends because isolating equals being trapped in your own world. Isolating is a choice, but not the wise one. Here are five things that I think make true friendships work. 1. Friends need to love each other unconditionally, 2. Friends need to listen to each other and try not to judge each other, 3. If a person is at risk of making a foolish decision, the friend needs to tell them, 4. Friends need to work it out if they have a disagreement if the friendship is worth saving. Relationships take work. 5. Friends need to show support for one another. The theme of friendship comes up all over the place. Many famous thinkers write about it, and it is a popular topic in movies, plays, musicals and operas. I will leave you with a few of my favorite phrases about friendship. "A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him I may think aloud." Ralph Waldo Emerson, "A true friend stabs you in the front." Oscar Wilde, "The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend. I have no wealth to bestow on him. If he knows that I am happy in loving him, he will want no other reward. Is not friendship divine in this?" (Henry David Thoreau) "I get by with a little help from my friends." (John Lennon) "The bird a nest, the spider a web,man friendship." (William Blake). Blake's quote Is saying that man needs frienship like a bird needs it's nest, and a spider needs it's web. A person can survive physically without friends, but their soul cannot.

2 comments:

  1. I care :) It has been nice getting to know you. Nice post, Nick.

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  2. Thank you Becky. It has been nice getting to know you too.

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