The quotation “No man is an island” is almost always
used within the context of friendship. In fact, it is often interpreted as no
man can stand alone by himself and that every individual needs to be surrounded
by different people who share the same interests and views that a person has.
Every person in this world is in pursuit of friends, however, rarely does one
find what is called a “true friend”; that is, one who is able to stay in a
close and genuine relationship with another person through thick and thin.
Indeed, true friends are one of the greatest joys in life everyone should have.
They are the pillar of strength that keeps us going and adds color to our
lives.
The word “friend” was taken from the German word
“freogan” which means “to love” and “to favor”. Interestingly, the term
“friend” has been used as a verb in the English language since the late 14th
Century (Friend, 2012a). As a noun, the word “friend” is used to describe a
person whom one personally knows, likes and trusts. In some cases, the word
“friend” may also pertain to an acquaintance, an associate or a colleague
(Friend, 2012b).
Interestingly, there are a number of terms synonymous to
the word “friend” which are being used at the present time and one of these is
the word “acquaintance”. However, the words “friend” and “acquaintance”,
although sometimes being used interchangeably to mean the same thing, also have
certain differences in terms of meaning. The word “friend” pertains to the
people that one chooses to talk to and share experiences with. Friends are the
people one normally interacts and socializes with. They are the people who
share the same interests, hobbies and other things with another person.
Acquaintances on the other hand, are people whom one only know by association.
An acquaintance could be someone who was introduced by a friend, a classmate or
someone close to a person. Thus, an acquaintance is someone that is known by a
person but is not considered as a close friend or even a well-trusted
individual. Thus, the main difference between a friend and an acquaintance is
that a friend is someone who shares a close relationship with an individual
while an acquaintance is a person known by an individual, but does not
necessarily share a close relationship with that individual (Acquaintance,
2012).
Personally, a
true friend is considered a joy in my life because he or she is a person whom I
can trust, rely and depend on especially in times of trouble and sorrow. Rarely
does one find a true friend because in many cases, friends come and go in one’s
life and only very few stay particularly during times of difficulty. A true
friend is a source of happiness and joy. Aside from being a pillar of strength
in times of trouble and loneliness, a true friend also adds color to my life as
that person shares the same fun and happy memories that I experience each day
of my life.
Moreover, a true friend matters to me because he or she
is someone I can trust with even the innermost secrets that I keep deep within
me. Without a true friend, I would have no one to share my problems with. I
would also have no one to share the happiness and joys I experience in my day
to day life.
I believe that friendship easily blossoms when two
people share the same interests and views in life. When two people are able to
constantly communicate and in the process, build a strong relationship, friendship
blossoms even more.
But while making new friends can be easy, making a true
friendship last, can be quite difficult. This is because for true friendship to
last, it requires a testing of time. Time is what shapes and defines two
people’s level of friendship and determines the strength of their friendship.
I am one of the
few fortunate people in this world who was able to find a true friend. Back in
kindergarten days up to the present time, I have managed to maintain and
develop genuine friendship with Marco. I consider him my true friend and “best
friend” because even though we went to different schools in elementary and high
school, we still managed to share a deep friendly relationship with one
another. Although we have fought and went through many disagreements in the
past, I believe that those experiences all the more made our friendship
stronger and more colorful.
If there is one
important lesson I have learned about friendship, it would be the value of
sincere love and care for another person. From the very start, I have shown my
best friend how much I love and care for her and in return; she did the same
for me, and helped me out through the difficult times I went through.
Aside from
genuineness and sincerity, I believe that constant communication is one of the
important rules to keeping a friendship close. Regardless of the length of
distance that separate two friends from one another, I believe that the only
key to maintain and strengthen friendship is through communication.
Therefore, a true friend is indeed a source of joy. As
in the words of Joseph Addison, in one of his famous quotations: “Friendship
improves happiness, and abates misery, by doubling our joy, and dividing our
grief (Addison, 1711). Indeed, he is trying to point out that a true friend is
only capable of increasing one’s happiness and joy while at the same time,
decreasing one’s misery and grief.
Therefore, no amount of time or length of distance will
be able to hinder a true friend from sharing with his or her friend, the joy
that comes from within. In this sense, a true friend is indeed one of the
greatest joys in life one could ever have. Moreover, a true friend is a pillar
of strength that keeps a person going despite difficulties and challenges in
life. A true friend also adds color to one’s life as he or she tries to share
the same fun and happy memories that one experiences in day-to-day life.
References
Acquaintance
(2012). Dictionary.com. Retrieved July
20, 2012, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/acquaintance
Friend (2012a). Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved
July 20, 2012, from http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=free-love
Friend (2012b). The Free Dictionary. Retrieved July 20,
2012 from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/friend
Friendship (2012) Quotations Book.com. Retrieved July
20, 2012, from http://quotationsbook.com/quote/15916/
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