The idea of friendship has always been influenced by many human philosophies. Individuals frequently have different perspectives on the subject of friendship. From a broad perspective, friendship can be seen as an intimate relationship. However the level of closeness among friendships typically varies because some people may have a closer bond while others may not. A person may have a number of friends, but the intimacy of their relationships will always vary. In this situation, certain friends are more significant than others. Genuine foundations provide the foundation of a significant friendship, which will always endure for a very long time.
Such a connection is particularly beneficial because it is built on sincere help for both parties. Friends of this nature will typically encourage one another as needed and be there for one another. Genuine friends will typically lend a hand to one another, no matter what the issue may be. Nonetheless, some friendships are doomed to failure because of insincerity. When some pals aren’t sincere, breaking up with them is the wisest course of action.
Hence, having a friend that wouldn’t be helpful to you would be pointless. After talking about friendship in general, the goal of this essay is to focus on and explore traditional friendship. In order to do this, the article will also analyze the concept of classical friendship as it is described by writers like Aristotle, Boethius, and Dante, among others.
Forms of friendship
In an ideal world, making friends is very important in life. But, it can be challenging to recognize when someone is a true friend, especially in the beginning of the relationship. This is due to those buddies who consistently act morally upright in order to complete a specific task. To win someone’s friendship, they are even willing to go above and beyond the norm. For instance, a person may use a certain friendship to their benefit in order to obtain a position, resources, or any other goal.
Such a friendship is never true and will eventually fall apart. Real friendship is when two people can have fun together without arguing, support one another in difficult situations, and remain loyal to one another. When necessary, friends should also support, compliment, and encourage one another. Self-actualized friendship, social friendship, emotional friendship, professional relationship, and classic friendship are some of the common types of friendship.
1. Friendship that is self-actualized
Friends who have achieved self-actualization are free to discuss anything at length. This kind of friend will typically express their opinions and listen to others without judging them. Such buddies are very fantastic and are forming friendships with others for the right reasons. These buddies are typically patient listeners who value other points of view in any interaction they have. Being in the company of a self-actualized buddy is amazing since they are excellent motivators and counsellors. As a result, they support their friends at all times and offer guidance and inspiration when necessary.
Such a friendship is never true and will eventually fall apart. Real friendship is when two people can have fun together without arguing, support one another in difficult situations, and remain loyal to one another. When necessary, friends should also support, compliment, and encourage one another. Self-actualized friendship, social friendship, emotional friendship, professional relationship, and classic friendship are some of the common types of friendship.
Friends that have achieved self-actualization tend to be upbeat and would not hesitate to correct their pals. Regrettably, finding companions who are self-actualized is difficult. Because most people lack their traits, they are uncommon to find. Not everyone is able to help out and take care of their pals. People fall into different personality categories, so it could be difficult for certain people to commit to self-actualized relationships. Self-actualized friendship is destined to last for a very long time by virtue of its character. Even a lifetime may pass without a breakup.
2. Social companionship
Moving on to social friendships, those who fall into this category frequently create their connections in public settings like bars and recreation centers. Social friendship is entirely focused on social issues that improve a specific connection. In this situation, such buddies will typically meet in public settings and in the presence of other people. This is due to the less formal nature of their friendship, which is unrelated to employment. Social friendship is noticeably more prevalent in urban areas than in rural ones with less social networks. Because there are more locations to meet in urban settings than in rural ones, it is much simpler to establish a social bond. Social buddies typically participate in a variety of activities during their meetings, including sports, dancing, and singing.
3. Psychological friendship
Emotional friendships are distinct from other types of friendships in that they are founded on feelings for the other person. Because of this, emotional friendships are the most intimate of all friendship types. Whatever happens, emotional friends will frequently support one another when they talk about their issues. Typically, people who are engaged in romance, marriage, or a family bond like a mother and daughter form this kind of friendship.
Sometimes an emotional bond that begins in childhood lasts into maturity. Dante and his childhood sweetheart are one illustration. Dante, a writer of literature, developed a strong emotional bond with Beatrice, his girlfriend. Despite Dante having a wife, they both kept up their emotional bond. Dante continued to adore Beatrice even after getting married and continued to write her numerous love poems. Their connection was based on courtly love in medieval times, symbolically.
4. Business friendship
On the other hand, a specific professional network’s members make up a professional friendship. Those who work together or share some professionalism frequently form professional friendships. A professional connection is founded on official issues, as opposed to social companionship. Employers and employees or business partners with a shared interest may be involved in the partnership. Friends from the workplace can always get together at their offices, boardrooms, or on company property. Informal topics should never be brought up in business friendships since they could develop into other types of friendship. After briefly discussing a few friendships, the following sentences will go into greater detail on traditional friendship.
5. Old-fashioned friendship
The three types of classical friendship that Aristotle identified can be seen and recognized. Genuine friendship is distinguished by Aristotle from other bonds based on mutual benefit and enjoyment. Utility friendships are typically formed based on a fundamental factor that deepens the bond between the parties. As a result, individuals form useful friendships in order to accomplish a particular objective. According to Aristotle, utilitarian friendship is most prevalent among the elderly and people in the middle years.
Utility pals may never get to spend time together in their relationship. Usually, a specific goal is what pulls them together. When an objective is accomplished, the relationship may end. According to the traditional definition of friendship, some people form bonds with others so they can enjoy themselves. Young people who enjoy switching up their connections are more likely to have friendships based on enjoyment. Depending on the level of enjoyment, their interest in a relationship might last either a very short period or a very long time. Young people enjoy having fun, which allows them to make friends with a variety of people.
Often, when a difficulty emerges, buddies would desert their relationships. Friends must stick by each other not just in good times but also in bad. Insincerity in the friendship is demonstrated when a friend is abandoned when they are struggling. It is crucial for friends to support one another when they are struggling, whether it is financially, emotionally, or in other ways.
Conclusion
Essentially, friendship should not be formed purely for enjoyment as some people do, but rather on a true basis. A traditional friendship should involve love and dedication to one another. True friendship, according to Aristotle, never ends because a friend is struggling. Instead, it keeps going no matter how horrible or difficult things are. Everybody has challenges at some point in their lives, and they might not be able to solve them on their own without assistance from friends.
In the same way that a friend is helped, a partner should be prepared to aid if needed. It is obvious that it was a sincere friendship when you take into account how Boethius felt about his girlfriend. This is due to the lady philosopher’s unwavering support of the imprisoned Boethius. She wrote a letter to her friend praising several excellent poems.
