What is friendship? This is a question that even children from a young age often ask themselves. At first glance, the answer seems simple and clear. But how many people will manage to write an essay or composition on this topic?
People all over the world are used to calling neighbors, schoolmates, work colleagues, social media followers, and those with whom they have gone through thick and thin as “friends.” But true friendship is something completely different and much deeper, a phenomenon that combines psychology, ethics, and even biology.
Read also: Pirates of the Caribbean movie: history, zeitgeist and what to expect in 2027
Definition of the concept: “friendship is”
Note that there is no fixed, precise concept of friendship, because for everyone it is their own vision of the relationship between two close people of the same or opposite sex. However, it is accepted as a general rule to give a certain concept to friendship, as:
Friendship is a type of personal relationship based on mutual affection, trust, sincerity, and common interests. Unlike family ties, which we receive at birth, friendship is a conscious, independent choice of a person.
Key signs of true friendship:
- Voluntariness: No one has the right to force you to be friends with them or be their best friend. This is a free union of independent people.
- Equality in everything: In friendship there is no hierarchy and subordination, “that is, someone cannot be a boss and someone his subordinate.”
- Selflessness: You value a person for who they are as a person, who they are as a person, not because they can give you certain benefits.
- Emotional intimacy without secrets: The ability to be yourself with your friend without masks and fear of judgment, opening up about secrets and hidden desires.
Psychological foundation: What is friendship based on?
Each case of friendship arises and is based on a certain psychological connection, but psychologists identify several “fundamental reasons” on which strong relationships are built:
- Trust and security. You are confident that your secrets will not become public and your vulnerabilities will not be used against you.
- Value. A friend is someone who validates your personal value as a person and an individual. When you are supported in your endeavors, you feel more confident.
- Shared experience. “Together, both sorrow and grief,” difficulties that are overcome together, create a common context, memories, and a “vibe” that only the two of you understand.
- Empathy. The ability to feel another’s pain or joy as one’s own.
Types of friendship (according to Aristotle)
Everyone has their own opinion about friendship, and it means something different to everyone. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, over 2,000 years ago, classified friendship into three different types:
| Type of friendship | Characteristic | Duration |
| For the sake of profit | People are useful to each other (business partners, neighbors). | It ends when the benefit on which it was based disappears, such as a joint business or good neighborliness. |
| For the sake of pleasure | Shared hobbies, parties, easy and quick pleasure through leisure. | It may pass as soon as interests change and someone stops liking going to parties or doing yoga. |
| Friendship of virtues | It is based on mutual respect for shared values (Christianity, faith in God) and personality (interesting as an artist, thinker, scientist, or simply a charismatic person). | The strongest and rarest. |
Why is friendship good for health?
Modern research in the field of neurobiology proves that the absence of close friends is as harmful to the body as smoking or a sedentary lifestyle. In addition, having a best friend leads to –
- Reducing stress levels: When communicating with a close friend, oxytocin (the hormone of trust and love) is produced, which suppresses cortisol (the stress hormone).
- Extending life expectancy: People with strong social connections have a 50% higher chance of longevity.
- Cognitive health: An active social life slows down the aging process of the brain.
Challenges of Modernity: Friendship in the Age of the Internet and Social Media
Today we have hundreds of “friends” on Facebook or Instagram, but are they our real friends, because we often feel lonely all the time. What is the paradox?
“Likes” on photos are not support. True friendship requires time for a friend and physical presence during difficult times.
The digital age has changed the format, but not the essence. Virtual communication can maintain communication at a distance, but it will not replace face-to-face contact, support, trust, sharing of thoughts, and shared silence, which is the highest level of trust.
How to maintain friendship?
Friendship is work, it does not entail a static state, but is a process that requires time, attention and work. It requires, in financial terms, your “investments”:
- Be reliable. Keep your promises and do not neglect the trust your friend has in you.
- Be a good listener. Sometimes a person doesn’t need a thousand pieces of advice, they just need to be heard, listened to, understood, and empathized with.
- Allow yourself to grow. Friends change. It’s important to accept new aspects of your friend’s personality, and not hold on to the image you had 10 years ago. It’s important to grow yourself to be interesting and on par with your friend. Because when one develops and the other degrades, the friendship is lost.
- Sorry. There are no perfect people. Conflicts should not be a reason to break off communication, it is a part of life and even a point for the growth of your relationship, because friendship also has crises and how much you value it is an indicator when going through a crisis.
Conclusion
Friendship is a mirror in which we see the best version of ourselves. It is a quiet harbor in a stormy world and at the same time a powerful engine that pushes us forward. As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said: “A friend is, first of all, someone who does not judge you .” Appreciate those who are close to you, because finding a true friend is like winning the lottery, where your happiness is at stake.
Want to receive more news on this topic? Subscribe to our Viber by simply clicking on this text!
