- 21 Nov 2016 07:06
#14740377
I read an article which said that 1 in 8 men in the UK don't have any "close friends". I figure this is probably close to the same in all developed countries, it is said to be even worse in some east Asian countries.
I wonder, what is friendship really and how does someone make close friends? The best advice I've come across is that "to have a friend you have to be a friend" although it is in practice often not that simple.
I think that one thing which friendship is, is that there is a somewhat shared identity. A close friendship is by nature exclusive of others. Liberals probably don't want men to have "close friends" because exclusive male groups would promote inequality or something but to have close friends is surely better than to not have close friends.
So what are people exclusive about and why? I think that religion is about being exclusive towards a base conception of human nature and to try and approach a better conception of it, often with your friends. This makes religion not just central to community, as has often been mentioned, but also central to close and healthy friendship. Similarly, a culture (or often, a subculture) is about differentiating yourself and your friends into an identity separate from what other people have.
Globalism, being against culture, and liberalism as against religion, are also adversarial in nature towards one of our most basic needs, the need for friendship. Society "atomizes" and people are alone as globalism and liberalism increase because religion and culture are key building blocks of a "real" or "close" friendship, as distinct from guys you just play games with, or occasionally drink with, or sometimes chat with.
I wonder, what is friendship really and how does someone make close friends? The best advice I've come across is that "to have a friend you have to be a friend" although it is in practice often not that simple.
I think that one thing which friendship is, is that there is a somewhat shared identity. A close friendship is by nature exclusive of others. Liberals probably don't want men to have "close friends" because exclusive male groups would promote inequality or something but to have close friends is surely better than to not have close friends.
So what are people exclusive about and why? I think that religion is about being exclusive towards a base conception of human nature and to try and approach a better conception of it, often with your friends. This makes religion not just central to community, as has often been mentioned, but also central to close and healthy friendship. Similarly, a culture (or often, a subculture) is about differentiating yourself and your friends into an identity separate from what other people have.
Globalism, being against culture, and liberalism as against religion, are also adversarial in nature towards one of our most basic needs, the need for friendship. Society "atomizes" and people are alone as globalism and liberalism increase because religion and culture are key building blocks of a "real" or "close" friendship, as distinct from guys you just play games with, or occasionally drink with, or sometimes chat with.
Orb Team Re-Assemble!