Friendship is an important aspect of human life. Unlike other important relationships,
friendship is not defined by legal ties, or formal social obligations. Normally, there
are no ceremonies held for the formation of a friendship. In fact, friendships rarely
begin with two people declaring that, "from this day forward, we will be friends."
Rather, friendships develop gradually as the partners begin enjoying one another's company.
Friendships are largely free of obvious social expectations. Friends have their own
control over when they should get together and how they should interact. When things go
wrong, they are likely to remain quiet rather than challenge their friends. Occasionally,
a person drops a friend suddenly due to obvious dishonesty. Most often, however, friendships
merely fade away as the partners'stop doing the things that give the relationship its meaning.
There is a good deal of evidence for the importance of friendship. People with close
friends live longer and are happier than those without. As the Greek philosopher Epicurus
said, "Eating or drinking without a friend is the life of a lion or a wolf." Friendship defines
what it means to be human.