Knowledge Sheet

Friendship for a Cause

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Examine your friendships, they are often for a cause. There are several reasons for your friendships:

• You make friendships because you have common enemies. Fear and threat to survival can bring people together.
• You make friendships because you have a common problem. You talk about your problems and become friends. For example, sickness, job dissatisfaction, etc.
• People get together because they have common interests. For example, through business or a profession (doctors, architects, social workers, etc.)
• You make friends because you have common tastes. You have similar tastes in sports, movies, entertainment, music, hobbies, etc.
• People become friends because of compassion and service. Out of compassion and pity for someone, you become friends with them.
• People become friends merely because of long-term acquaintance.

Brave are those who nurture friendships for only friendship’s sake. Such friendships will never die nor become soured for it is born out of one’s friendly nature. Only through wisdom can one become friendly by nature.