omg omggggggg lolz was looking thru my 4M folder to check out the bday list (cos this period got a truckload of bdays that i cannot remember for nuts) and i stumbled upon this! laughZ totally~ a philosophy project: socratic dialogue on friendship between me and ack (on msn). must paste~
Ack says What is friendship?
Mel says Friendship is being happy with another person. (like... totally laughZ out loud~)
Ack says All friendships have ups and downs, right?
Mel says Yes
Ack says So sometimes we are angry with our friends. Is that still friendship?
Mel says Then perhaps friendship is one can accept the good and bad points of another person.
Ack says I think that is not sufficient to define friendship, because one may be able to accept the good and bad points of another person but the 2 may just be acquaintances
Mel says The acceptance must be mutual in order for the relationship to be defined as friendship.
Ack says The acceptance can be mutual but the 2 can still just be acquaintances, right?
Mel says Not really true. To accept a person fully with both his or her good and bad points, one must truly know that person to a great extent to know their faults and strengths, and thus it is unlikely that they are just acquaintances.
Ack says Wouldn't friendship then be better defined as a situation when 2 people know each other to a great extent to know their faults and strengths?
Mel says But it is possible to know another person so deeply that you understand their faults and strengths, and yet you are unable to accept their weaknesses. For example, you can know your enemy inside out, and yet not able to accept his faults and thus, unable to become his friend.
Ack says So now friendship is......?
Mel says The element of acceptance is essential in friendship
Ack says Hmmm
Mel says Friendship is accepting one another's faults and weaknesses, and recognizing their strengths and gifts.
Ack says If one party fails to discover one particular strength or weakness of the other, does it mean they are not friends?
Mel says A one-sided relationship will never result in anything. To be true friends, reciprocation is necessary and one must understand the other. Therefore, yes, it means they are not friends...although they may still be friends later.
Ack says That will probably result in very few 'true friends', and friendships will be very rare! Don't you think just one strength shouldn’t affect a friendship?
Mel says Then perhaps that’s the reality of the situation. Perhaps there are very few friends in the world. We don't understand each other enough and thus, that is the reason for arguments and quarrels, even among friends.
Ack says I don't think I know everything about you but don't you think we can be considered friends?
Mel says Maybe friendship is then like a scale of how much you know and understand a person, and accept him for who he is.
Ack says What if people change?
Mel says Technically, we don't really know for sure whether people change although I believe that people's character and personality is ingrained and unique to everyone and does not change. (wow this pendulum took only 2 years to swing completely to the other side)It is another whole field of possibility and philosophical discussion to ask whether people change. But however, if people do change, then perhaps friendship then is not a concrete thing.
Mel says Rather, it is fluid and varying, changing with the times as people change too.
Ack says If friendship is like a scale of how much you know and understand a person, and accept him for who he or she is, then what is love?
Mel says If friendship is a scale, love is then at the top of the scale. It is the highest peak of friendship. (laughZ dono whether it's naive or insightful also)
Name: Foo Guo Zhong Melvyn
Age: 19+
Affiliations: MSHS (Pri), Rosyth, RI, RJC, SFX (LoG)
Bday: 14th Nov
Email: mel_protoss@hotmail.com
omg omggggggg lolz was looking thru my 4M folder to check out the bday list (cos this period got a truckload of bdays that i cannot remember for nuts) and i stumbled upon this! laughZ totally~ a philosophy project: socratic dialogue on friendship between me and ack (on msn). must paste~
Ack says What is friendship?
Mel says Friendship is being happy with another person. (like... totally laughZ out loud~)
Ack says All friendships have ups and downs, right?
Mel says Yes
Ack says So sometimes we are angry with our friends. Is that still friendship?
Mel says Then perhaps friendship is one can accept the good and bad points of another person.
Ack says I think that is not sufficient to define friendship, because one may be able to accept the good and bad points of another person but the 2 may just be acquaintances
Mel says The acceptance must be mutual in order for the relationship to be defined as friendship.
Ack says The acceptance can be mutual but the 2 can still just be acquaintances, right?
Mel says Not really true. To accept a person fully with both his or her good and bad points, one must truly know that person to a great extent to know their faults and strengths, and thus it is unlikely that they are just acquaintances.
Ack says Wouldn't friendship then be better defined as a situation when 2 people know each other to a great extent to know their faults and strengths?
Mel says But it is possible to know another person so deeply that you understand their faults and strengths, and yet you are unable to accept their weaknesses. For example, you can know your enemy inside out, and yet not able to accept his faults and thus, unable to become his friend.
Ack says So now friendship is......?
Mel says The element of acceptance is essential in friendship
Ack says Hmmm
Mel says Friendship is accepting one another's faults and weaknesses, and recognizing their strengths and gifts.
Ack says If one party fails to discover one particular strength or weakness of the other, does it mean they are not friends?
Mel says A one-sided relationship will never result in anything. To be true friends, reciprocation is necessary and one must understand the other. Therefore, yes, it means they are not friends...although they may still be friends later.
Ack says That will probably result in very few 'true friends', and friendships will be very rare! Don't you think just one strength shouldn’t affect a friendship?
Mel says Then perhaps that’s the reality of the situation. Perhaps there are very few friends in the world. We don't understand each other enough and thus, that is the reason for arguments and quarrels, even among friends.
Ack says I don't think I know everything about you but don't you think we can be considered friends?
Mel says Maybe friendship is then like a scale of how much you know and understand a person, and accept him for who he is.
Ack says What if people change?
Mel says Technically, we don't really know for sure whether people change although I believe that people's character and personality is ingrained and unique to everyone and does not change. (wow this pendulum took only 2 years to swing completely to the other side)It is another whole field of possibility and philosophical discussion to ask whether people change. But however, if people do change, then perhaps friendship then is not a concrete thing.
Mel says Rather, it is fluid and varying, changing with the times as people change too.
Ack says If friendship is like a scale of how much you know and understand a person, and accept him for who he or she is, then what is love?
Mel says If friendship is a scale, love is then at the top of the scale. It is the highest peak of friendship. (laughZ dono whether it's naive or insightful also)