As we grow up, we realize it is less important to have lots of friends, and more important to have real ones.
Anonymous
In a world as materialistic as ours, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that quantity has become synonymous with success or standing. Be it money or the number of friends we have, the mantra is simple: the more the merrier. And while this might be somewhat true of money, human relationships are far too complex to fall within the purview of something so simplistic.
Most philosophers, ancient and contemporary alike, have stressed the need for having one good friend over a thousand good-for-nothing ones. Yet, most of us take immense pride in having scores of friends. This isn’t something bad or undesirable as long as you don’t call upon these so-called friends at the time of crisis.
All a massive friends’ circle can do is satisfy our ego and boost our social standing. But those are hardly the reasons why one should have friends. What good is having a hundred pals at your birthday party if hardly a couple of them would show up when you’re feeling down? The unfortunate reality is that one might have a lot of friends to be with them in their highs, but barely anyone to comfort them in their lows.
The younger we are, the more enthusiastic we feel about making lots of friends. However, as we grow up, we realize how little sense it all made. This is something that only experience can teach.
Maturity is when we realize that we don’t need a lot of friends. A person with just one reliable friend feels much more confident in the face of trouble than someone with, say, a hundred fake ones. If you are lucky enough to have a friend like that, make sure you never let go of them.
There are many anonymous quotes on the value of friends. One such quote goes as follows: “As we grow up, we realize it is less important to have lots of friends, and more important to have real ones.”