Aristotle has always given special value to the theme of friendship in his work, for him he was a valuable asset and an incentive for happy life, however, he points out that in life you can find three types of friendship, three types of bonds, where only one can equal a higher form of relationship, an exceptional bond away from interest and mere chance.
As we know, Aristotle was a scholar, have your knowledge, or rather your great curiosity, allowed you to acquire knowledge in very diverse fields such as logic, science, philosophy?So, one thing that is undoubtedly very striking when it comes to works like “Ethics in Nicomaque” is that, at that moment he described human beings as a strictly social creature, he describes us as social animals, where friendship certainly assumes the most satisfying form of coexistence.
“Without friends, no one would choose to live, even if they had all the other goods. “Aristotle.
Perhaps in his day, the sage had neither the opportunity to know the mysteries of the brain, but if there is one thing modern science has been able to prove is that this organ needs social interaction to develop, survive and benefit, for itself, rather than adequate health. We are, without a doubt, social animals, creatures that need strong ties to others, yet the bonds to which we must aspire must certainly be based on a number of pillars.
Classical philosophers are often regarded as full of respectable but distant wisdom. It is yesterday’s voices that we can quote from time to time for informational purposes, but thinking, in turn, that many of the things that have left us in these ancient legacies have little to do with current needs and characteristics, nothing further from reality. Moreover, in the midst of our existential anguish, it is really appropriate to meet with them to discover authentic texts of personal growth.
“Ethics at Nicomaque is one of them, a revealing work on how to achieve happiness and the place of our social relationships in our daily lives. For Aristotle, friendship is an exchange where one learns to receive and give, but far from being conceived as a payment system, it is necessary to remember that it is not noble to wish to receive favors, for only the unfortunate need benefactors, and friendship is first and foremost freedom. The most virtuous state of being?.
On the other hand, what Aristotle explains in this work is that there are three types of friendship that, in a way, we all find ourselves on more than one occasion.
The fact that people instruct each other is well known. Some do it more often, others don’t see it, and some understand friendship this way: “I’m starting a fake friendship with you in hopes of profiting from it. “
Even if we have one or more friends, we all hope to receive something in return: support, trust, building good times, sharing leisure situations, etc. Some people use flattery and manipulation to achieve higher dimensions: social position, recognition?
This is one of the three types of friendship that will certainly be well known to us, this is an interaction that usually occurs a lot in adolescence and early youth, later, when we become more selective, cautious and apply the right filters, it is less common. see this kind of bilateral friendship born.
But how is selfish friendship different from the pursuit of pleasure?In the first, the person seeks an advantage, be it favors, access to other people, recognition, etc. In the case of the second dimension, what you want is simply to “take the time”.
They are people oriented towards an empty and inconsequence hedonism, who seek to be with others exclusively to share moments of détente, joyful complicity and pleasant well-being, so when the other person needs sincere support for a problem or when things get complicated. complicated, the fake friend dissolves into nothing, like sugar in a cup of coffee.
Friendship for Aristotle is to yearn for and seek the good of the friend, while promoting our own individual realization by taking care of this special bond.
Among the three types of friendship defined by Aristotle is the ideal, the strongest, the most exceptional but always possible; is one in which, in addition to utility or pleasure, there is a sincere appreciation of the other as it is. . There is a kind of altruism in this bond where you do not seek to enjoy it, where you simply want to share the good times, the day to day and also be the permanent reference to turn to to lean on.
It is a friendship based on goodness, which Aristotle describes almost as a relationship, because after all, perfect friends, sincere friends are very few, they are rare, they are the references to build a sense of deep intimacy, where we hope don’t do it. to be betrayed, where experiences, memories and promises are not valued since neither time nor distance can destroy.
In conclusion, it is very possible that many of us now have the three types of friendship that Aristotle describes: people who want something from us, friends who only seek us to share moments of pleasure, and exceptional people who are present for whatever happens. And come on. Friends that we would not change for anything and that make this life a more fun and interesting trip.