Friendship, An Intellectual Rocket
A successful and everlasting personal relationship can provide a wide, all-encompassing spectrum of benefits for both partners. In my egocentrical experience, however, the "best thing" about a personal relationship is that it provides an external incentive for self-improvement--a reaffirmation of the necessity for intellectual transcendence to establish a more sophisticated purpose in life. This is a strange and perhaps an unnecessarily philosophical opinion, but it is nonetheless very true. I value peers who are intellectually stimulating, competitive, and success oriented. During those turbulent times of existential paranoias, friends provide me the incentive necessary to overcome those fears and look towards a more successful and meaningful future. I will elaborate...Friendship throws a greater lustre on prosperity while it lightens adversity by sharing in its griefs and anxieties. --Marco Tullius Cicero
A friend gives a fresh and brilliant meaning to success (different than that provided by family. organized religion, and other social institutions). By sharing all inhibitions, anxieties, and "gonzo" perceptions, the friend's advice and companionship becomes more of a forum of growth and understanding. Each person learns more from one another and incorporates these new and different ideals into his persona. This intimate knowledge of one another forms an eternal bond that intensifies all future accomplishments.A friend is someone who can make us do what we can do. --Ralph Waldo Emerson
Accomplishments are sweetened by being able to share the entire self--not just the self that is portrayed to unsuspecting parents or employers. However, the road to the final achievement is often plagued by self-doubt (false or misleading perceptions), intense competition, and fatigue. Friends prod, push, and revitalize one another's talents and interests to maximum potential. Potential can be maximized by rational introspection, deep and analytical conversation, or study--regardless of the method used, the friend instills the desire and knowledge is gained. Intellect is transcended. The best help is not to bear the troubles of others for them. But to inspire them with courage and energy to bear their burdens for themselves and meet the difficulties of life bravely. --John Lubbock
The sky is the limit, and friendship is the rocket. Friends provide motivation and encourage self-improvement, but the most important benefit is not obvious. Friends will not always be there to sooth the fanatic soul, so the knowledge gained throughout the friendship must be applied to conscious introspection and self-motivation in those lonely, difficult times. Friendship, then, is a never-ending practice and internalization of knowledge and lessons of life. A personal relationship is like an encyclopedia. Conversation, companionship, and difficulty are but a few of the infinite passages--an accumulation of experiences and knowledge provide the meaningful lessons to be gained. A friend encourages you to act upon these lessons and to strive for something greater--to intellectually transcend yourself and seek and surpass the unknown "limits"--and most importantly, to go beyond yourself and continuously redefine and upgrade your ultimate purpose in life.
