Friendship - what is it? The meaning of the word, definition, essence, examples

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Poems are written about friendship, legends are told, stories are told. A little less has been said, sung and written about this feeling than about love. It accompanies a person throughout his conscious life. Friendship is what every mentally he althy person strives for. However, not everyone will immediately give her a definition. Therefore, now we will take a closer look at this concept and find out what can be called true friendship.

Origins of the word

Let's start with the etymology. In other words, we will find out how the word "friendship" appeared in Russian. It has taken root with us for a long time - since the 11th century. And it originally referred to a comrade-in-arms, to a partner. So from the very beginning, friendship is a feeling of security and trust in relation to another person.

In this regard, the etymology of the English word is also interesting, which emphasizes another important facet of such a union. In English, the word friend (friend) has a common root with the Old English word freo (free, free). Unlike blood or marriage ties, and even unlike political alliances, to which a person could be forced, friendship is a union exclusivelyvoluntary. This is one of the reasons why it has been so highly valued at all times and in all nations.

Definition of concept

Encyclopedias agree that friendship is a kind of personal relationship between two or more individuals, which is based on mutual sympathy and respect. Often it is strengthened by common hobbies and interests. There must be an emotional attachment and readiness for mutual assistance. An essential ingredient of friendship is selflessness.

What is friendship

In order to build strong friendships, you need to be prepared for a certain responsibility - caring for a friend should become a desired duty. It does not burden or bother.

It is important to understand that in order to find a friend, you must be a friend yourself. Even love can be one-sided and unrequited. Friendship necessarily implies reciprocity.

Another indispensable attribute of friendship is devotion. Recall the origin of the word - a friend was trusted with life, he had to cover in battle from enemies. Nothing has such a negative impact on friendship as betrayal or dishonesty. It is worth recognizing that even in the case of betrayal, this is not yet the final verdict. Taking into account the circumstances (betrayal and meanness do not always go hand in hand, sometimes there is ordinary human weakness), a true friend can forgive. However, this offense will not pass without a trace.

The definition of the word "friendship" is helped by examples from life or even from literature. After all, fictional characters toocan teach us a lot.

What is friendship: examples worthy of emulation

The first thing that comes to mind almost automatically at the mention of friendship is the famous work of Alexandre Dumas "The Three Musketeers". And this is a very interesting example. Note that the characters do not shout at every corner about their friendly sympathies. They do not solemnly swear allegiance to each other to death. But they behave in such a way that there is no doubt about it. Their relationship is completely selfless. The essence of friendship is visible in their actions. The fact that everyone, without further ado, is ready to give his life for what is dear to a friend.

Another example from classical literature is Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Their relationship has all the ingredients from the recipe for true friendship. John admires the brilliant detective, and Sherlock sincerely respects his friend. They enjoy each other's company, and they find a common hobby - investigating crimes. Although their contribution to the cause is very different, they feel that they are participating in it together.

Friendship is vulnerable

But friendship does not always withstand the tests that fall to its share. The cornerstone conflict of the Star Wars universe is the transition of the protagonist Anakin Skywalker from the side of the light and good to the side of the dark and bad. Among other things, there was a meeting (or rather a battle) with a friend with whom Anakin had been inseparable for the past few years. Friendship with Obi Wan Kenobi was among the things Anakin had to sacrifice in his transition to the darkside. Despite the fact that the relationship between these men was strong, and their friendship is undoubtedly an example of sincere feelings, it ended in one moment.

In the X-Men MCU, two friends, Charles Xavier and Eric Lehnsherr, also go through several stages of a relationship. And their friendship, which began and grew stronger according to all the rules, also does not experience moral dilemmas. However, even when they found themselves on opposite sides of the barricades, they did not hate each other, but continued to respect even the current enemy. And this is also the result of friendship. Even if friendship is in the past.

The impact of social networks on attitudes towards friendship

In today's society, another new definition for the word "friend" has appeared. In social networks such as Facebook, VKontakte and Odnoklassniki there is a quantitative record of "friends". The synonym for the word "friendship" in this context is rather the usual "contact". But in social activity, this indicator is very important for many. It is used to measure one's own popularity.

With the growing popularity of social networks and the possibility of instant messaging with a large number of people at once, the illusion of friendship has appeared. However, it turns out that the quality and strength of such relations leaves much to be desired. Building strong friendships without face-to-face communication is still very difficult. To do this, it is not enough just to be in touch. It is necessary to show love, sympathy and patience towards a friend. Only then will friendship truly blossom.

Howbe a good friend yourself

The older a person is, the more serious the meaning of the word "friendship" becomes for him. For a child, a friend is just a playmate. But with age, you expect much more from friendship. What is changing? With a friend, a person just has a pleasant time, and a friend shares his values \u200b\u200band outlook on the world. How to be a good friend yourself?

First, you have to be a good listener. And often it means much more than just listening. We must be sincerely interested in what a friend lives, in what worries him. Perhaps there will be times when it is necessary not only to listen, but also to ask about disturbing thoughts. You can't be indifferent and take the position of "he wants to - he will tell."

Secondly, it is important to understand that a friend will make mistakes. He can offend. Friendship is impossible without forgiveness. And it is desirable to forgive quickly and from the heart. Then the figurative “small scratch” on the relationship will not fester and turn into an ulcer, which over time can even destroy friendship.

Third, you can't enslave a friend. A person does not become property. He is not obliged to limit his communication to one person. Just a real friend, when needed, will always be there.

Tell me who your friend is

Friends are important to choose wisely. When meeting a person, try to observe how he behaves with others. Do not be deceived, if someone in relation to others is harsh, mocking, does not show patience, likes to let go of critical remarks, then he will remain the same. It only happens in melodramas.so that the hero is harsh and rude with everyone, but with one person he is white and fluffy.

Also, don't underestimate the influence of friends. Gradually, the manner of communication, views and value system of friends becomes common. Therefore, choosing a good friend is a kind of investment in your own future. However, we must remember that a good friend is not a synonym for a "profitable friend." Mercantile will not get you far. You should not limit your choice exclusively to those who are popular or immediately dispose to themselves. If you develop the habit of thinking about others, then friends will definitely appear.

To have real friends, it is not enough just to want it, wait and read books about friendship. Learning to make friends is like learning to ride a bike. It is not enough to see and know the theory. You need to constantly practice, while being prepared for falls. In relationships, it is also important to apply knowledge and not give up when you fail. And then good results will not keep you waiting.