7 Types of Friendships

Do you often notice the differences in the friendships you have? Well that’s because throughout life, we meet people from different backgrounds with various personalities that add colour to our lives. In this article, I will be covering with you some of the types of friendships that you may encounter in life.

1. Simple

Now what do I mean by a simple friendship? This means that you have a strong bond with them that isn’t broken by trivial matters because your group is able to value the friendship more. Additionally, having a simple friendship can also mean another thing – Although the group of you are unable to meet frequently, you still check up on each other. What about during meet ups? Well the camaraderie just doesn’t seem to fade even after a long while.

2. The Party

Do you have a group of friends who seem to be always partying when you are hanging out with them? I’m sure some of you do, am I right? These friends know how to have extra fun with minimal effort and they never forget to invite you because they enjoy your company and want you to have fun as well. Although a friendship with party-goers can sound wild, they can also be people who are good at lifting your spirits.

3. Rivalry

What kind of friendship is this? Well, it’s like a healthy competition. Your friendship with them is often based on pushing each other to be better. A friendship where you encourage and hold each other accountable so that you are always challenging yourself. Of course, these friendships don’t always sound as stressful as it seems. Some people view the rivalry in such friendships as a reminder of self-improvement.

4. Utility

The following three points will be introducing you to Aristotle’s three types of friendships. Let us start with friendships of utility. According to Smith (2020), friendships of utility is often based on mutual usefulness. For example, a person is friends with another because they get a free ride to school every day. These types of friendships are motivated by self-interest.

5. Enjoyment

If you find yourself being friends with a person because you think they are hilarious and they bring you laughter, it is a friendship of enjoyment. These friendships are formed to facilitate personal enjoyment which is often viewed as a friendship motivated by self-regard (Smith, 2020).

6. Virtue

The last friendship type according to Aristotle is the friendship of virtue. I think most of us will be familiar with this one. Friendships of virtue are formed when people who share the same values become friends. It is a selfless form of friendship that really encompasses the meaning of friendship based on morals but is one of the tougher types to build (Smith, 2020). Doesn’t this sound familiar?

7. The Go-To

Have you ever had a group of friends that you always go to for most things? This friendship can be a real treasure because it seems like it’s an all-in-one package that has got you covered. Whether it’s solving your problems, giving advice or just being there for you, this type of friendship is one of the best to have. With that being said, it is also important for you to put in the same amount of effort and care into such a treasured friendship.

Summary

What do you think of these types of friendships? And have you encountered them before? Also, what are your thoughts on Aristotle’s types of friendships? It is important to know that a good friendship takes time to build. There may be some ups and downs along the way, but it is the effort we put in that helps to make a friendship strong. Despite that, it is also important to recognize that not all friendships last. You can put in your utmost and it can still fall apart, but that is part and parcel of life.

References

Smith, D., 2020. The Great Conversation: Aristotle On Friendship – Associate’s Mind. [online] Associate’s Mind. Available at: <https://associatesmind.com/2013/11/04/the-great-conversation-aristotle-on-friendship/> [Accessed 2 May 2020].