WHAT IS FRIENDSHIP
QUOTATION:
“Without
friends, no one would choose to live, though he had all other good”. Man is a
social animal, Aristotle says: “Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a
wild beast or a god”.
It is very difficult for a man to live without
friends. Seclusion is certainly very shocking and the pain that accompanies it
cannot be adequately expressed in words. That is why introverted confinement in
jails is considered to be a punishment much more intense than rigorous
imprisonment. Gregarious Instinct in man is very powerful. It is the flora not
only of man but also of most species of animals to live in company.
Of many individuals around us, we choose just a
few of them to be intimate with us. They are mostly like-minded people whose
tastes, likes, and dislikes are common with us. Their principles and philosophy
of life are identical to ours. They have the same sort of hobbies and
recreations as we have. In short, we have numerous things in communal. It is on
the basis of the identity of views, habits, and tastes that the edifice of
lasting friendship is raised. Factual friendship means “a soul dwelling in two
bodies”. It is also supposed that “a friend is one's other self”.
Friendship,
the peculiar boon of Heaven,
To noble minds'
delight and pride,
To men and
angels only, giv'n,
To all, the lower worlds are denied.
Such friendships are usually formed in the early
days of life and nurtured with growing years. The classrooms and the
playgrounds are the places where the foundations of lasting friendships are
laid, where opportunities are available to understand one another and get to
know our companions from close quarters. Some of the finest friendships are
stuck in school, blossom with age, and remain long-lasting till old age. When
old friends meet, they derive real pleasure from each other's company by
reviving old memories.
Here is the best friendship quote, "A friend
in need is a friend indeed." He must come to your salvage in an event of
an emergency and offer aid, even without your asking for it. He must love you,
yourself, and not your situation if you are to be actual friends. He must
inspire you to daze your difficulties, escalate your good qualities, and admire
your intelligence and diligence. He should have the bravery to stand by you
through thick and thin. In the words of Coleridge, “Friendship is a sheltering
tree”.
Constancy and loyalty are qualities that lay a
firm foundation for a true friendship.
A truthful friend is a strong defense and a great gem. A true
friend is modest, and he mildly mends the weaknesses of his friend. He always
gives him good advice and never sacrifices the interests of his friend to grind
his own axe. A true friend is always generous, kind, candid, and sincere in his
contact with his friend. He tries to conceal his failings and proclaims his
virtues.
Prosperity makes friends and adversity tries them. A factual friend is not a fair-weather friend. He shares your
afflictions with a smiling face, bolsters your spirits in your dark days, and
encourages you to face the challenges of life. He does not shirk lending a
helping hand when needed.
George,
Washington says:
“Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well-tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation”.
Friendship is surely the finest unguent for the pangs of disillusioned love. A true friend is closer to us than our closest relatives. To him, we can safely confide all the secrets of our life, which at times we do not confide to our nearest relations.
Friendship
is like a tender plant that has to be protected from the whims of weather, the
nibble of the frost, and the rage of wind. It has to be watered, clipped, and
looked after. Lack of warmth and warmth may cool down a friendship and
eventually kill it. If it is founded on selfish interests and personal motives,
it is no more than a commercial alliance.
What is friendship but a name?
A charm that lulls one to sleep
The shadow that follows wealth and fame
And leaves the wretch to weep.
(Goldsmith)
There is a Japanese
proverb:
“When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends”.
A man is known by the company he keeps. In the final analysis, the selection of friends depends on personal ideals.
A selfish friend always leaves
us in the lurch, and then we repent over our choice, but it is useless to cry
over spilled milk.
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