“A friend is a single soul dwelling in two bodies.” Aristotle –
Everybody wants friends, the few people with whom we can share secrets and intimate thoughts without fear of betrayal.
But true friends are a rare commodity for friendship is a slow ripening fruit. It is a long process and much to the chagrin of many, there is no such a thing as an instant friend.
Individuals usually become friends in their formative years, or through shared experiences like college, army or even prison.
True friends though can be counted just on one hand, because as the saying goes “if you have too many friends, you have none”.
Be courteous to all, but intimate with few.
People desperate for friends will sometimes turn to social media like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
There they can get “instant friends” at the click of a button, but these “friends” are not the genuine article and they all come with STD (Socially Transmitted Disease).
The minute you “hookup” with a friend, the hosting social media will grab the names (and all its accompanying data) all your friends and the friends of your friends.
Media Miners will immediately pounce on it.
These specialized data gatherers will analyze and extract as much information as possible and resell everything to merchants for a hefty price.
So, be wary of the information that the media prods you to volunteer.
Merchants are more than happy to pay for this. Instead of shooting in the dark, they can now focus on your interests and shower you with targeted ads.
So, “media friends” can be as much as a liability as a source of comfort.
And you cannot call any of those “chums” in the middle of the night for an emergency. They are just fair weather friends, ready to disappear at the first rumble of a storm.
If you want a true ever-loving friend, someone who will stick with you through thick and thin and never utter a single disparaging word against you, get a dog!
Alain
One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives. Euripides