"There are good ships and woods ships, ships that sail the sea, but the best ships are friendships, may they always be!" So goes the old Irish proverb. "If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends," said the Spice Girls. C.S. Lewis poses "Friendship is unnecessary like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival." Friendship has been around since the dawn of time. It is the least stable of all relationships and the least strategically beneficial to life, yet we as humans have always pursued and maintained friendships. But why?
5 Reasons We Choose Friendships
1. We want to share our passions with other people.
Whether it's singing, shopping, playing Settlers of Catan, or watching "Making a Murderer" we want someone to look at us and say, "you like that too!?" Friendship is found when we realize a common interest with another person. We know we're in the company of a companion when we see the same truth as they do. Enjoyment of any activity or interest is only doubled by sharing it with another person! We don't know why but singing Mariah Carey in the car is on another level when our best pal is sitting next to us singing all the wrong lyrics too.
2. We want someone to cry with.
Even if your friend has terrible advice or no advice at all, letting the salty stream of tears go in front of a good friend has healing powers like no other. Sure crying alone while watching the Notebook can be a great thing, but sharing the pain with a friend is sharing the burden too. It is a weight lifted to share with a confidant who cares.
3. We want someone to laugh with.
There is nothing better than watching a weird Youtube video with your friend and laughing hysterically because you both just know that it's funny. It is a great thing to have those friends who though nothing is actually funny, you both are erupting with laughter just because being with each other makes you giggle.
4. We want someone to tell us when we're being stupid.
Though it's a love/hate thing, we want to have friends to stop us when our jokes go too far, tell us that we shouldn't get back together with our ex, or flat-out say our outfit looks trashy. Friends are the great wise (or not-so-wise) counselors who make us who we are. Those we spend time with unquestionably influence our decisions, thoughts, and goals. We want to have friends who push us in the right direction and turn us around when we're headed down a bad road.
5. We want someone to go to social events with.
What is going to a party, football game, or a night on the town without your gang by your side? Whether it's one friend or a few, any night can be made fun with the right people. We want someone to make us feel good by laughing at our jokes when they're falling flat, being just as goofy as we are on the dance floor, or someone to be the wingman when the cute dude comes over to chat.
Life is a journey full of emotions, discovery, work, loss, achievement, finding meaning, humor, love, and much more, and we want to have people to share the road with.
Here's to all of my friends who aren't necessary but who are worth the world to me!
