What Does Friendship Actually Mean?

Friendship can be described as the ability to love and care for another person or a group of people. It enables us to socially grow with one another and have a similar level of understanding that enables us to support each other, through the happy times and bad times. Many people consider friendship as drinking or clubbing partners, but are they really our friends or just simply acquaintances? I believe this is where people go wrong and later on pay a heavy price, because they eventually find that those people they go out with every weekend are not there when they are feeling under the weather.

It is important to bear in mind and define what we call friendship, so we can recognise it when we are confronted with bad chemistry from the other person. Friendship is thereby when we help and care for one another when in need or if we are feeling down. Furthermore, it is about discussing our personal thoughts and feeling with someone who is close to us and not feeling we will be judged by the other person. Many people tend to mix up friendship and an acquaintance, simply because they may enjoy the other persons' aura and presence. However, friendship involves good, effective, emotional communication between two people.

Friendship also means people who share similar interests, as this helps keep communication flowing without too many hiccups. These interests can vary from time to time, but there will always be a few things in common that will act as a setting stone. For example, similar music, sports and hobbies. Furthermore, if our interest in one of these areas increases over time, then friendship with that person can potentially grow stronger, since we are able to empathise with one another.

It is possible to have a close friend through sharing one particular interest which is used as the foundation to develop and gain a greater understanding of someone on a more emotional level. For example, you may have met a friend through attending dancing lessons. You might not have performed well that day and are upset because your coach had a go at you. So, you turn to your friend that you attend dance lessons with for some encouragement and support.

If you are able to identify what friendship means to you then it will enable you to enforce this naturally without possibly being aware of it, because there is a good chance that you will have some friends of a mutual understanding. If not then you are already off to a good starting point, which will allow you to put this into good practice.