What is the Definition of Friendship?

  • Thread starter Thread starter dekoi
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the definition of friendship, exploring its nature, characteristics, and distinctions from acquaintances. Participants consider various aspects such as biological, emotional, and social factors influencing friendships.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether friendship is strictly a biological phenomenon or if it is influenced by common values and beliefs.
  • Another participant suggests that most human relationships are attachments driven by survival or emotional needs, contrasting human social behavior with that of grizzly bears.
  • Some participants propose that genuine friends are those who are concerned for each other's well-being, indicating that such friendships are rare.
  • A different perspective defines friends as individuals who invest equal energy into each other's well-being.
  • One participant offers a view that a friend is someone loved non-romantically, likening the bond to that of family.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various interpretations of friendship, with no consensus reached on a singular definition. Multiple competing views remain regarding the nature and characteristics of friendship.

Contextual Notes

Some definitions rely on subjective interpretations of emotional connections and social behaviors, which may vary among individuals.

dekoi
Define friendship.

Is it strictly a biological phenomenon which causes us to be attracted to one another?

Is it attraction caused by common values and beliefs?

How would one differentiate a friend from an acquaintance?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Bump!

----
 
Grizzly bears have no fun

People such as Jay Leno and George Bush have all the friends money can buy, or what some people call yesmen.

Most human relationships are attachments some of which is brought on by survival or emotional needs.

Unlike grizzly bears, humans are social creatures. In the books "Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus" and "How to Win Friends and Influence People" the books main themes is maintaining and sometimes manipulating other people's egos. I guess genuine friends are those who are concerned for your well being. They are rare.
 
RAD4921 said:
I guess genuine friends are those who are concerned for your well being. They are rare.

Perfectly stated. I hate to sound non-opinionated, but i agree.
 
"Strangers are unknown friends."
 
Friends are people who put as much energy into your wellbeing as you put into theirs.
 
a friend is someone you love, but not romantically, very much like family. so the better question would be, what makes you feel the way you do towards family members?
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
792
  • · Replies 32 ·
2
Replies
32
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 25 ·
Replies
25
Views
3K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
2K
  • · Replies 73 ·
3
Replies
73
Views
9K
  • · Replies 23 ·
Replies
23
Views
3K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K