What if all the relationships we had disappeared? What if we had to walk through life completely alone, with no one to talk to, and no one to listen? We live in a cruel world, where each day life becomes tougher, and without someone there to help us life can be unbearable. After taking a minute to reflect on our lives, how important are our friendships? Friendships are a necessary part of life, and our lives we be a wreck without having someone there for us. But the question is what truly is friendship? Can a dictionary, a psychological study, or a philosophical debate define friendship for us, or can only a personal definition completely explain this intriguing word? This is a complicated definition with many parts that must be examined.
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But I find the difference between a psychological definition and a dictionary one quite thought-provoking. This psychological explanations read, “ A voluntary relationship between people that lasts a long time and those involved are concerned about each other. It develops from shared interests and experiences and is mutually gratifying.” (Psychological Dictionary) We have now added two more key components when describing friendship, it is both voluntary and mutually gratifying. If that is the psychological demarcation, what would the philosophical description be? According to the university of Stanford friendship can be defined as, “A distinctively personal relationship that is grounded in a concern on the part of each friend for the welfare of the other, for the other’s sake, and that involves some degree of intimacy.” (Stanford Encyclopedia) The philosophical definition has now added that there is a mutual interest in the welfare of each other within a friendship. If we then take our dictionary definition and add these key components we would obtain an explanation similar to, “A voluntary state of being attached to someone else by a feeling of mutual gratification and caring, as well as an interest in the welfare of both people.” This is an incredible explanation of friendship, as far as a book definition can go. However, I do not believe a book or a website can give a person their definition of friendship, I believe each person has to develop their own definition through experiences and life
But I find the difference between a psychological definition and a dictionary one quite thought-provoking. This psychological explanations read, “ A voluntary relationship between people that lasts a long time and those involved are concerned about each other. It develops from shared interests and experiences and is mutually gratifying.” (Psychological Dictionary) We have now added two more key components when describing friendship, it is both voluntary and mutually gratifying. If that is the psychological demarcation, what would the philosophical description be? According to the university of Stanford friendship can be defined as, “A distinctively personal relationship that is grounded in a concern on the part of each friend for the welfare of the other, for the other’s sake, and that involves some degree of intimacy.” (Stanford Encyclopedia) The philosophical definition has now added that there is a mutual interest in the welfare of each other within a friendship. If we then take our dictionary definition and add these key components we would obtain an explanation similar to, “A voluntary state of being attached to someone else by a feeling of mutual gratification and caring, as well as an interest in the welfare of both people.” This is an incredible explanation of friendship, as far as a book definition can go. However, I do not believe a book or a website can give a person their definition of friendship, I believe each person has to develop their own definition through experiences and life