Great to have a lot of friends! Even better to get them, not only in social networks, but also in real life. Why are people attracted to each other, what is the reason for their desire to establish friendships? This question interests philosophers, writers, psychologists, and educators. Not for nothing that one of the tasks in the OGE is offered to graduates of 9 classes to write an essay-discussion on the topic "What is friendship". Of course, in this work, the word friendship must be defined. In this article you will find different interpretations of this concept.
A few definitions of the word "friendship"
By this concept is meant selfless relationships between people, which are fixed by common interests, hobbies, built on understanding and mutual assistance. In these relations there should be sympathy, affection. This feeling is very moral, affecting the most intimate aspects of the human soul.
What is the definition of friendship? Close relationships based on sincerity and trust, emotional affection are friendships . Under this concept lies the kinship of souls with common interests, which does not tolerate deception, betrayal and falsehood.
Ninth graders are invited to define the word friendship for composition 15.3 in the United State Examination. How can it be? Friendship is human contacts, which are supported by fidelity, the desire to help and help each other, as well as similar interests and opinions.
Friendship is a cordial tendency that unites people in one impulse to go together through life, to help each other in any circumstances. This feeling unites people to make it easier, but it needs to be able to protect and carry. After all, there is such a thing as true friendship.
Philosophical point of view
Even the philosophers of ancient Greece carefully studied the concept of friendship. They called her true signs of unanimity, mutual assistance in trouble, sincerity. Useful friends called people direct, sincere and heard a lot. Hypocritical people, flattering and talkative, were considered bad friends. Many Greek philosophers wrote special ethical treatises about friendship. So, Plato said that only good people and like each other can make friends. By this feeling, he meant a kind of spiritual love, a noble and disinterested connection of people.
Aristotle called three types of friendship:
- based on mutual benefit;
- haunting pleasure;
- based on virtues.
A true good philosopher called friends who communicate with the goal of mutual improvement and development of positive moral qualities of character. Bourgeois teachings called love and communion with God the highest friendship. Modern philosophy insists that this feeling gives a deep soul, where you can take thoughts, like from the ocean.
Sociological aspect
In sociological literature, friendship is carefully studied as a factor in social relations. Friendship is determined here by the form of spiritual culture, interpersonal communication. For her, common principles, values, assessments, habits, interests are important. In the emotional sphere, friends feel trust, a special closeness, reliability, and strength of relationship. This concept refers to the basic needs of mankind, its fundamental values.
Friendship is sometimes difficult to distinguish from platonic love. In these two concepts, partners are idealized, and when parted, they become worthless. It was believed that a person experiences true friendship when he ripens, because in his youth there is a lot of frivolity and windiness. Recently, sociologists have been studying types of relationships in social networks.
Friendship can be called indifference or loneliness. But there are a lot of synonyms: harmony, friendship, goodwill, unity, communication, union.
Friendship in terms of psychology
Psychologists consider disinterestedness to be the most important in friendly relations. People should enjoy what they give to each other. For this, it is important to learn to understand people. Friends can catch not only words, but also gestures, facial expressions, subtle movements, voice modulations. People who know each other well know in advance the reaction and behavior of a comrade in any life situation.
Friends tell each other personal news, express their opinions about them. They choose topics for conversation, interesting and significant for two. Friends build relationships delicately so as not to offend, not to touch with careless words and unintended actions.
Friendship Goals, Norms, and Rules
The goals that people set on friendly terms are many: business, unitary, emotional. There are relationships based on mutual intellectual enrichment. Moral goals help to focus on moral improvement. Thus, friendships can be called multi-purpose.
And what norms and rules do people use in such relationships? Respect, equality, understanding, trust and loyalty are important here. Also, friends should be ready to help. Sociable people are more prosperous, they are easier to deal with stress.
Friendship examples from literature
To define the word “friendship” for children at school, it is better to turn to fiction. Such an example is the relationship between the Fox and the Little Prince from Exupery’s short story The Little Prince. These two heroes were support to each other in all vicissitudes. The fox instructed goodness and affection, and the prince revered warmth and care. The true motto of friendship can be considered a phrase from their dialogue: "We are responsible for those we tamed."
The list of books about true friends includes Three Companions by Erich Maria Remarque, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain, Andersen's Snow Queen, Per Gynt Ibsen. You can learn about real friendship from the works of A. Dumas “The Three Musketeers”, Tolkien “The Lord of the Rings”, Kaverin “Two Captains”.