Friends |
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The quality or condition of being friends, and the creative tendencies reflected in the relationship, which characterizes the latter. And, what exactly is a friend? Where do we begin? Let’s look at traditional synonyms: chumminess, closeness, companionship, comradeship, familiarity, fellowship, and intimacy? Really a Friend isn't always easily described. In our traditional attempt to rank degrees of friendship we're stuck with simple adjectives. Casual friends, Close friends, Best friends, Childhood friends, Intimate friends, Boy friends, Girl friends, Trusted friends, Beloved friends. These listed adjectives agreeably are gradients in quality of friendship. But whether you use adjectives or different words, few could deny the nearly infinite meaning in such a simple word, friend. In order to find precision, in this scope of search let’s view the friend from its opposite end. An enemy is one who feels hatred toward, intends injury to, or opposes the interests of another; and pursues this interest with hostile power or force. The word etymologically evolved from Middle English enemi, from Old French, from Latin inimīcus: in-, not; see in–1 + amīcus, friend. This analysis is helpful because at least, it tells what a friend is not. Bearing in mind that the passivity that exists between ‘friend’ and ‘enemy’ would be such called stale. Here are some quotes on enemy: "The enemy advances, we retreat. /The enemy camps, we harass. /The enemy tires, we attack. /The enemy retreats, we pursue." –Slogan for his troops, recalled on his death, 9 Sep 76 Mao Zedong "We have friends but they have not been made by silence or pussyfooting. If we have enemies, we do not placate them." –Wall Street Journal, 8 Jul 64 William H Grimes "I have never made a friend from whom I could not separate, and I have never made an enemy that I could not approach." –Quoted in NY Times, 16 Jan 85 Tancredo Neves
How
to
make
friends? The truth is that an enemy is made by choice not a friend. Circumstances creates friend. It could be a person whom one already knows, likes, and trusts or it could someone completely new. The egality therein lies on the fact that there is no certainty that one who is already known, loved and trust reciprocates the feeling towards one. There is no certainty at any time. Therefore it's save to say to whom one is a friend rather than place absolute confidence on uncertainty. However, if one chooses to extend the benefit of the doubt based on the quality of experiences of simply the character of the other, it would be a gift made to self. The result might be disappointment, or it might turn to be a grace. Either way, the thrill of surprises never ceases to determine friendship. So, a friend is one who allied in a personal struggle or private cause, one who provides comradery, one who supports, sympathizes, and patronizes to see you succeed, gives you leverage, joyous with you in spite of circumstance, wishes for you as much as self is one with whom you breath free. A friend is simply an adopted extension of another in oneself, due to being supportive of best interest at heart and good intentional interest within or in spite of relative circumstances. Here are some nice quotes: "The man who treasures his friends is usually solid gold himself."–Love and Laughter Doubleday 67 Marjorie Holmes "When a friend speaks to me, whatever he says is interesting." –NY Times, 28 Sep 69 Jean Renoir "When
friends
stop
being
frank
and
useful
to
each
other,
the
whole
world
loses
some
of
its
radiance."
–NY
Times,
1
Sep
85 "Without
friendship
and
the
openness
and
trust
that
go
with
it,
skills
are
barren
and
knowledge
may
become
an
unguided
missile." "We cherish our friends not for their ability to amuse us, but for ours to amuse them." –Forbes, 12 May 80 Evelyn Waugh "People ... have no idea what a hard job it is for two writers to be friends. Sooner or later you have to talk about each other's work." –We Have All Gone Away Anatole Broyard Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 |
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