Friends

Friends. It is a frightening word. The very concept is disturbing because being a friend is a commitment that is not to be taken lightly. Yet just about everyone bandies the term at the drop of a hat, with no concern for what friendship truly means. This is creating a great mass of meaningless links, and the very dangerous illusion of social happiness.

There are different grades of friend, ranging from an acquaintance to a chatty buddy to someone who would go through hell itself with the one they befriended. The last one is of the highest quality, and exceedingly rare. Realistically, most friends will never be like that. However, the minimum standard I would hold a friend to is the willingness to hang on even when one is faced with difficulties.

It is easier conceptualized than realized, seeing as most are still dominated by their sense of self-preservation, and that is further bolstered by the self-interest that is common in modern society. Chances are, many "friends" will fade into the woodwork at the whiff of trouble, and are less than hesitant to truly risk some of their happiness to preserve their ally. With friends like those, who needs enemies? It's no wonder that it's advocated that people make friends with everyone: They're going to get stabbed in the back anyway, so they might as well be socially appealing before their downfall.