Since writing the post on friendship a few days ago, I've been thinking about some additional dimensions.
Strong romantic relationships often share many characteristics with friendships. Often, when people are in love, they will describe their significant other as their best friend. The distinction I've been struggling with is whether being in love simply shares characteristics with friendship (and hence 'feels like it'), or whether there is a separable element of friendship that exists in parallel. This is an especially relevant question when thinking about how to move forward with relationships that have ended (I don't mean to be coy here-- I presume most readers of this blog will understand my motivations in discussing this topic). While I certainly hope for the latter, I sometimes fear that the former may be closer to the truth. Thoughts?
Another scenario I was thinking about is that of childhood friends who grow apart. How do we maintain friendships, if at all, when we've grown apart in terms of shared experiences, interests, and inclinations? Many of these dissipate, but some seem to stick around-- and I think there is value here. Value in having somebody who realizes how different you've become, but still cares for you, and will be there for you because of your shared past. These are the things that make us human.
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