“What is a friend? One soul that lives in two bodies.” This quote is attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who wrote extensively about the concept and importance of truth. friendship as a determinant meaningful life
Aristotle’s opinion on this is completely different from what is depicted in the 2010 film. Social network about the establishment of the Internet social network Facebook site. With advertisement tag line, “You can’t have 500 million friends without a few enemies,” you have to wonder what the definition of “friends” is in this kind of social media context. And when you look at the relationships depicted in the film, especially between the founder Mark Zuckerberg and his network of friends, it becomes clear that they do not meet the standards of quality that Aristotle advocated!
In the film, computer geek Zuckerberg and his best friend Eduardo Saverin, who is also the co-founder of Facebook, get into enough fights, including a bitter legal battle, to determine that there is no soul in either of their bodies. Of course, the concept of “friend” is very widely used in the Internet world of Facebook. What do you think Aristotle had to say about the meaning and way of friendship that has become popular in the new millennium? Have we gone too far in our search for connection with others in a world that is, as American journalist Thomas Friedman puts it, “flat”?1
And in a world of hyper-connectivity brought about by new technologies that have no limits, what happens to true friendship? Will it die? Or they are different Social media Are “platforms” just redefining or changing our concept of friendship today? If so, what are the consequences of life known to us? Will we be happier? Will it really promote the kind of meaningful existence that Aristotle sought and advocated?
From such a meaning-oriented perspective, where does friendship fit in? And how might the social media developments I’m referring to here directly and indirectly affect the nature of human friendships and the human search for meaning?
Honestly, I have more questions than answers, although there are some trends that are worth mentioning on this topic. For example, Mark Vernon, Ph.D., an emeritus research fellow at Birkbeck College, London, has addressed the issue of social media influence, concluding: “As our daily lives become more technologically connected, we’re losing meaningful relationships. Yes, we’re losing our friends.”2
In other words, the joy of real human connection is being replaced by electronic stimuli and “virtual” friendship, i.e social relations not the kind of true friendship described by Aristotle. In our postmodern society, there is evidence that while we have many acquaintances, more and more of us have few people with whom we can turn and share our true selves, our deepest affinities.
We don’t just “bowl alone,” to borrow that title from sociologist Robert Putnam’s book; we effectively live alone in a social network world! Now how awesome is that? Paradoxically, this is an illustration of what we call the human search for meaning in our book. Prisoners of our thoughts“paradoxical intention” or working against ourselves.3 We have become our worst enemy, navigating the sea of so-called “friends” promised to us through Facebook and other social networks.
Aristotle once asked his fellow Athenians: “Who lives without friends, even if they have everything else?” Importantly, he believed that good friends are superior to all material possessions. So take a moment to think about the quality of friends we can make online, and compare that quality to the other friends we have real-life contact with—whether it’s small, work-related, social, intimate, or even romantic. Which of these relationships represents a meaningful relationship and a true friendship? Which of these contacts is most important to you when all is said and done? In addition to feeding your soul, can you feel that one soul lives in two bodies?
In his classic work EthicsAristotle also proposed the ageless following wisdom: “The desire for friendship comes quickly, friendship does not.” This is a very profound and perhaps provocative statement, especially considering the powerful forces behind online social media. It takes time and effort to build true friendships, relationships in which you are able and willing to reveal your true self—intimate thoughts, intimate feelings, and sensitive vulnerabilities, including fear.
While online social connections may be just a click away, developing true friendships is not as easy or as easy as it sounds if you believe and take Aristotle’s advice.
I find that in today’s busy, fast-paced, and highly complex world, many people are more likely to share their hopes and problems with bartenders, taxi drivers, barbers, and therapists than with the regular people in their lives. In my opinion, this is a sad commentary on postmodern society, as many seem to have drifted away from true friendship and a sense of “community” and now live very privately, even solitudelives It is time to revive the meaning and value of authentic relationships with others. It’s time to focus on it and let the friendship flourish meaningful ways, both in our personal and work lives.
Aristotle also told us: “A friend is another’s self.” True friendship is not just a manifestation of what is called “social connection” in social networking terms. No, true friendship is the key to a prosperous, meaningful life, as well as a truly connected community and world.
