Why Friends?

What can bring more satisfaction than the comforting knowledge of acceptance? What better way to endure this harsh society than the realisation that you are not pressing on all by yourself? What better affirmation than having people you can call "friends" and vice versa?

Yet, what is the need for companion? Why is marriage a natural process in people's life? Why have few people survived being alone? The answer has many sources, and in this case, "friend" and "companion" would be assumed to address the larger group that are partners. And first, I would propose that this is due to the need for checks. People are affected by their environments, and unless values and principles are clung very strongly onto, they will go astray. This might be due to pent-up needs for release or self-pride being allowed to grow.

Without the support of friends, frustrations are allowed to build up, and over time, the familiarity may cause the personality to absorb such angst. Without friends, the errs in character cannot be brought to light -- people generally do not see their on faults -- thus causing a feeling of self-perfection that may lead to eventual rejection of the "lesser men" which includes everyone.

Such was the fear of keeping this blog a secret. Such was the impetus of writing the previous post -- the small conflict about publicity versus secrecy. I do not want this blog to spiral into an endless chasm regarding the torments of life. I need people to keep it out of the void and perhaps even inspire inspirational posts to bring balance to the system.

Indeed, friends are critical stages of life. The friends one has inherently affects the character he will develop. However, beyond that, friends also provide the larger community that people can relate to. Alone, one goes through life wondering about choices made and to be made. Alone, one goes through life full of doubts in selected pathways, thereby doubting one's ability as a result. Alone, life is difficult and unsure. With friends, however, choices made are easily justified by the similarity with the larger group. With friends, even if choices are wrong, one will not continually doubt. With friends, the human nature that contains "crowd mentality" is satisfied.

Yet, despite these logical reasonings for friendship, there is a purpose far beyond the physical aspect, for friends fill up the void in our hearts in ways that are too miraculous to even begin contemplating. Perhaps, an analogy may make this point simpler to understand. Imagine a tree trunk that provides life to the upper portion, containing a canopy of leaves and extensive branches. The trunk, however, has a hole right through it. The only way for survival is for an appropriate filling up of the space. Likewise, friends achieve such a purpose, ensuring that people retain their "humanity life".

Thus, in conclusion, what are friends for? They ensure that we go through life feeling more confident about ourselves. They protect and ensure our emotional and spiritual well-being. And certainly, they aid us in coping with life and its pressures.

Are friends important? No. Instead, from the established points above, I propose that friends go far beyond that, being the very basic necessities of life.