Ayush Sharma - Week 10: Friendship
Friendship. A term that all human beings have heard a multitude of times in their lives. Whether it is during the lessons we learnt in Kindergarten, or throughout the various adversity we faced with our fellow peers, the term “friendship” has always held a prominent factor in our lives. Well, to me, this particular word has one meaning that holds a lot of value. It represents something. That something being power.
Growing up, I really valued friendship. The memories that were made when I used to play basketball with my friends, and all the times we spent hours upon hours outdoors is something that I will never forget. As a matter of fact, I really wished that high-school had set times aside for recess, where we could play sports with our friends and enjoy it like when we were younger. Through these different activities, I have built strong and powerful friendships with my peers that are long-lasting till this day, and I hope it stays that way for as long as possible. Humans are meant to be social creatures, and having friends and people you can talk to just about anything is really something a lot of individuals take for granted. To me, having a good laugh with my friends is one of the best experiences ever.
Now, how does friendship represent power? I believe that friendship and power go hand in hand because of how important it is to our self-identity. Hanging out with friends and having a good time itself brings out a huge confidence boost, as well as an increase in our self-esteem. Having solid friendships can help an individual better understand themselves, while also learning new things about others.
This is crucial because in society, each and every individual is diverse in their own way. Acknowledging that diversity and embracing it is what makes us humans so special. If we continue to spark friendships with one another, a much more peaceful world is not too far from us!
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Hey Ayush, I completely agree that friendships play a powerful role in shaping who we are. I believe in the quote, “You are who your friends are.” The people you surround yourself with reflect who you are as a person, your values, and your ambitions. Strong and lasting friendships influence our growth and self-identity through core memories and experiences. Last semester, my friends were my support system in school. Late nights studying with them not only increased our chances of success on tests but, most importantly, provided us with confidence and emotional stability. I also agree that diversity plays an important role in friendships. Getting to know others who hold different values broadens one’s scope of the world. Mutual understanding and respect are the power of friendship, and with these two things, the world is, like you said, not far away from peace.
ReplyDeleteAyush, I really enjoyed how you were able to frame the concept of friendship not just as something you’re emotionally connected to but found it as something of a source of power. Your personal anecdotes about playing basketball and spending time with friends feel very valid as to why you value it. I also liked how you showed the impact of the power to your self-identity and self-esteem, a perspective I don’t see often discuss, but it is so important how we interact with the people around us. These friendships always helps us better understand ourselves and others, you should expand on it a lot more, exploring how different friendships challenge you to grow with different experiences. I’ve seen this value in you as a person too!
ReplyDeleteHi Ayush! I liked how you connected friendship to power, it reminds me a lot of a popular trope used in cartoons and anime. I have never really taken the term “power of friendship” very seriously, but after reading your blog I am reconsidering my opinion on it. I especially liked it when you wrote that friends are a, “confidence boost, as well as an increase in our self-esteem.” When I have only one friend in a class I have less confidence to speak out or to just talk out loud, however whenever I have more friends with me, I feel as though I can do whatever I want.
ReplyDeleteHey, Ayush. I wasn’t expecting someone to find the theme of power in something so simple as friendship. One would naturally think about “normal” or standard concepts of power in the world. But I think what you’re doing is pointing out how something that I otherwise thought to be too light hearted would still contain power on both an instinctual and emotional scale.
ReplyDeleteRelating to how you spoke about friendships and human nature, it brought me to an advertised study conducted back in 2023 that deemed it medically beneficial to set at least once a week to hangout with friends. This was a study conducted by Oxford University. While the study was paid for by Guiness and inserts having a few beers, I still think it has some worth. The study contained a control group, a group that was slightly sick, and a group that had normal vitals. Those that were sick were found to recover after hanging with friends quicker than those that didn’t. Additionally for all groups, endorphins were found to be released and thereby boosted morale and provided short-term immune-system support. I’d also add that these “hangouts” were simply bar visits and conversations between male friends—not sports or physical activity. Like you said, I could see how these benefits would be increased by simply playing a few pick-up games rather than the study’s standard procedure.
I feel like your blog has strong relevance-especially in 2025. After something like the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic, many of us felt the isolation and division when we were mandated to stay inside. I explicitly remember thinking the quarantine would be somewhat enjoyable until I got cabin fever around halfway through. I hadn’t realized what my friends meant until I had lost them for the time being. Thanks for reminding me about the power of friendship again, Ayush. See you tomorrow!
- Rafael Montes Barrera