2001-11-22

 

WHAT IS FRIENDSHIP?

     Songs, poems and proverbs about friendship are common and can be found in all languages. It is so because friendship has a great value in our life. Everyone would like to have a bosom friend, someone trusted, loyal, sincere and faithful. Friendship may be defined as ‘a dynamic, mutual relationship between two individuals’ and it is founded on the recognition of external or internal similarities.

     I would like to start with a type of friendship, which is based on external similarities, that is: the same race, social background, the same hobbies, business interests, the same school or outdoor activities. This type of friendship lasts only for a short period, it means, that such a friendship is not long-standing and can easily be broken when the external similarities change or disappear. Moreover, such a friendship is not very intimate and faithful, or deep and eternal. It is rather brief and casual. This friendship break down, when the people ‘grow away’ from each other and become too different in interests, opinions, beliefs and characters.

     The second type of friendship is based on internal similarities, it means on mental and spiritual features. Such a friendship does not recognize any differences between people, because relationships are usually equal, therefore they feel comfortable, relaxed and emotionally safe together. People, who have internal friendship, do not have to weigh their thoughts or words and usually are on the same wavelength. Such friends are very loyal and cordial and even when they have ups and downs they manage to foster their friendship and to remain sincere friends for really a long period.

The one more thing I would like to mention is that it is more and more difficult to make a friendship nowadays, either external or internal. The main reason is that we live in big cities, where we sometimes don't know who lives next door, so if we want to make a friendship, we should be honest and interested in people, rather than trying to make them interested in us. We should treat others in a way we like they would treat us in order to make harmonious, intimate and enduring relationships.

     In conclusion I would like to say that the friendship between people is perhaps the most important and meaningful feeling in the world. It is an intense connection and ‘never anything but sharing’, the sharing of everything that we have and giving even more than we get. It is a deep feeling that lasts for all our life and needs a great caring for each other's safety and well being.