Friendship is a profound relationship of mutual caring between individuals. It’s a deeper form of emotional bond than a romantic relationship and is even studied in various academic fields including communication, psychology, sociology, interpersonal science, and ethology. The word friendship originates from the Greek word which means “to bind.” So basically, it’s a platonic relationship that’s only meant for the short term. However, it’s not just friendship that matters; it’s also companionship, belongingness, moral values, social niceties, and similar things.
There are different types of friendships, but all of them share similar characteristics.
- Friendship is not based solely on physical attraction or something that brings the two people together instantly.
- True friendship is based on genuine feelings and respect, which develop over time.
- It requires commitment to friendship from both parties, as well as the ability to open-mindedness and consideration for each other.
- If you want to know more about true friendship, read on!
FRIENDSHIP; with young children is another great avenue to cultivate good relationships. When young children are young, they can be so innocent and impressionable, that their perceptions of the world around them are so limited. But true friendships extend past the young child’s youthful view points, into the pre-school years and beyond. In fact, among several of my co-workers in the organizational field, we’ve got some very close, long-term friendships with qualified professionals in the business and non-profit industries, in addition to the friends our son made when he was young.
Early childhood memories are some of the best ones you can have. Young children tend to have wonderful imaginary friends, who they play with, talk with, go to school with, play with in the backyard, or ride on the bicycle with. A real childhood friend would be someone with whom they can share these memories.
And, even though friendship with a parent or adult is typically more difficult; there are also benefits to rekindling old friendships, or learning new ones. Young children in particular, need to have some sort of “voice” in their lives, whether it’s from a family member friend, teacher, counselor, or mentor. They need someone who listens to them when they express themselves, or somebody who can validate what they’re saying. This is particularly critical in the early years of childhood, when self-esteem can be so fragile, sometimes young children are too quick to criticize themselves, and are usually met with harsh rebukes. However, if you do a little bit of work early on in life, by building bonds through friendship, your children will be better able to handle the criticism that may come their way in the future, as they get older.
But, it’s important to realize that even with the most perfect friendship; good feelings don’t always follow the friendship. It’s possible to have a perfect friendship with one another, but then have conflicts between them. When this occurs, the good feelings may subside, and you may feel angry, hurt, or guilty. Remember, you’re only human. When friends quarrel sometimes, the best thing to do is find a way to resolve the conflict quickly, without arguing. And, if all else fails, remember three kinds of friends: those who listen, those who provide a shoulder to cry on, and those who encourage you when you’re down.