Before we start talking about what are some qualities that one looks for in a friend, we must first define the term friend.<\/p>\n
What is a friend anyway? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a friend is defined as \u201c1) one attached to another by affection; 2) one that is not hostile<\/u>\u201d while Cambridge Dictionary defines it as \u201csomeone that you know well and like\u201d. On Facebook, they\u2019re anyone you add, whether you actually know them or not. And according to the opening theme of the hit TV sitcom Friends, it\u2019s about being there for each other even when things don\u2019t go well. So, there really isn\u2019t one way to define what a friend is.<\/p>\n
First of all, if it\u2019s just someone who\u2019s not hostile, that\u2019s most people on this planet, and maybe even outside of this planet. But we don\u2019t consider those people (or beings) friends. Then let\u2019s look at it as \u201csomeone that you know well and like\u201d. At which point do we think we know someone \u201cwell\u201d? If I work with the same people for years, I probably know them relatively well even if we barely spend time together or talk outside of work. I know their personality or their quirks well, and I like them more or less. But does that make us friends? I certainly don\u2019t think most of us would categorize them as such. At the end of the day, the term friend is completely subjective and whomever we decide are friends are friends.<\/p>\n
Now, I don\u2019t have many friends. One reason might possibly be due to the fact that there is a huge gap between friends and the next category. It could also just be that nobody likes me, but let\u2019s forget about that highly likely possibility for now. Certainly, some might argue the word friend is nothing but a label, and there really isn\u2019t a clear line between that and a coworker, for example.<\/p>\n
But for me, there is. A friend is someone I can trust to have my back when I\u2019m at my lowest. A friend must accept me for me, but also someone who can be honest and tell me off when they think I\u2019m wrong. A friend must stand the test of time<\/u>. A friend need not have the exact same views as me, but must fundamentally have similar, if not the same, core values<\/u> as me. They should be someone open to discussions, and who doesn\u2019t take things too personally. They should also be someone who genuinely cares about you as much as you do them. A friend should be someone you can learn from, and at the same time, someone you can teach. They should make you a better person, and vice versa<\/u>. <\/p>\n
Friendship is a two-way street, and it\u2019s something we shouldn\u2019t take for granted<\/u>. There isn\u2019t one way to be a good friend, because everybody\u2019s different. At the end of the day<\/u>, what really matters to me is not just someone who thinks I\u2019m worth his or her friendship and takes the time to understand me and learn to love me for me, but someone I\u2019m willing to do that for as well.<\/p>\n
Loki<\/p>\n
<\/br>
\nVocabulary<\/b><\/p>\n
hostile (adj.) \u2013 unfriendly and showing strong dislike
\nstand the test of time (phr.) \u2013 still strong, popular, etc. after a long time
\ncore value (n) \u2013 a fundamental principle or belief that a person views as being of central importance
\nvice versa (adv.) \u2013 used to say that what you have just said is also true in the opposite order
\ntake (someone or something) for granted (phr.) \u2013 to fail to properly appreciate or to undervalue someone or something
\nat the end of the day (idiom) \u2013 something you say before you give the most important fact of a situation; in the end<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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