No Man Is An Island

Humans were not created to live alone, and I couldn’t agree more. In our lifetime, we meet different people for different purposes, and those people who we think of as just an acquaintance will eventually become our friend. Once a special bond is formed and begins proclaiming each other as friends, at that moment it will be hard to know how the friendship will unfold and what type of friends it will become.

In Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics book, he categorizes three (3) different types of friendship – friendships of utility, friendships of pleasure, and friendships of the good. Friendships of utility, this exists between you and someone useful to you. You were both connected because of some benefits you obtain from each other. Friendships of pleasure, this exists between you and those whose company you enjoy. These are often considered “activity buddies” with whom you like doing things such as playing soccer, online games, or bike rides, etc,. You seek out each other’s company because of the joy it brings. Lastly, the friendships of the good, this type of friendship are based on mutual respect and admiration and are often formed in childhood or adolescence. They are the type of friend who respect you as a person, your personal space, values you and your opinion.

This type of friendship is rare to find and indeed a fortunate thing. In the end, regardless of which category your groups of friends fall into, I am hoping that they are the reason and not the hindrance to your personal growth.