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Does a lack of friends mean you are somehow flawed?

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weather1man
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12 May 2008, 12:02 am

Since the media and everyone tells us that your friends define WHO you are and without them you are nothing, does this really mean that people who are without friends are really less human than others?


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Danielismyname
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12 May 2008, 12:03 am

weather1man wrote:
..., does this really mean that people who are without friends are really less human than others?


No.



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12 May 2008, 12:09 am

weather1man wrote:
Since the media and everyone tells us that your friends define WHO you are and without them you are nothing, does this really mean that people who are without friends are really less human than others?

Count me as nothing or sub-human then. I'm still happy with my life regardless.


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weather1man
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12 May 2008, 12:12 am

I feel the same way, I know I AM something but the media and social push is unbelievable.


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12 May 2008, 3:42 am

no. but they sure wasted my f*****g time as a kid trying to convince me otherwise, rather than focus on trivial things like life skills...


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kraken
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12 May 2008, 3:58 am

It doesn't make you less human. Having people you can trust and who genuinely care about you is an incredibly valuable resource, however. I certainly regret my difficulties in forming such lasting relationships.



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12 May 2008, 6:22 am

kraken wrote:
It doesn't make you less human. Having people you can trust and who genuinely care about you is an incredibly valuable resource, however. I certainly regret my difficulties in forming such lasting relationships.


Yeah.... I don't know how some do it. MOST put up a front and appear to have something to offer. Others, are RICH. Others seem to just have such luck.

ME? I'm the luckout and keep through favors kind of guy mostly.



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12 May 2008, 6:23 am

I sometimes think that people in the past got jealous of those smarter than them and decided to do an investigative study on the smarter person's flaws and decided to make the person's life miserable and skewing priorities in order to make life better for themselves and others that are like them.

Having alot of friends does what exactly? Amplify someone's potential to do mean things to others to show off? Amplify one's lack of gaining their own individuality so that later on in life when friend's don't matter as much they feel lost in the long run?

Amplify the bully syndrome? Dumb down schools and promote intolerance towards those that are quiet?



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12 May 2008, 7:28 am

weather1man wrote:
Since the media and everyone tells us that your friends define WHO you are and without them you are nothing, does this really mean that people who are without friends are really less human than others?


Does not having friends make you less biologically intact? No. You ARE still human regardless of how many friends you have.

I know that the media tries to get people to think that if you are without friends, you are somehow robotic and less human, but that logically doesn't make any sense.
Don't believe everything the media says...most things like that are just a way to destroy peoples self-worth and get you to conform to superficial standards.


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darkstone100
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12 May 2008, 7:30 am

one or two friends is good enough for me, i don't need a giant group of gossiping teenagers around me trying to talk over each other, that would just be annoying


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12 May 2008, 7:44 am

catspurr wrote:
I sometimes think that people in the past got jealous of those smarter than them and decided to do an investigative study on the smarter person's flaws and decided to make the person's life miserable and skewing priorities in order to make life better for themselves and others that are like them.

Having alot of friends does what exactly? Amplify someone's potential to do mean things to others to show off? Amplify one's lack of gaining their own individuality so that later on in life when friend's don't matter as much they feel lost in the long run?

Amplify the bully syndrome? Dumb down schools and promote intolerance towards those that are quiet?


Well, if I see someone that is smarter, or has some great ability, or is honestly lucky, I may envy them, and even look for flaws to console myself(UNVOICED of course), but that is as far as it goes. I guess some people aren't satisfied with that and will accentuate the negative and taunt.

A statement was once credited to abraham lincoln. TODAY, people attribute it to a preacher. None the less, it should be taken to heart. Part of it says that you can not raise yourself up by shooting another down. That IS a paraphrase, of course.

Quote:
You cannot bring prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
You cannot further brotherhood of men by inciting class hatred.
You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.



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12 May 2008, 7:47 am

I don't want a huge group of friends.

Ya hear that, mass media?


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kaytie
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12 May 2008, 9:36 am

i know it's not true...just have to convince myself
i feel it's all a game...so shallow



matsuiny2004
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12 May 2008, 9:41 am

weather1man wrote:
Since the media and everyone tells us that your friends define WHO you are and without them you are nothing, does this really mean that people who are without friends are really less human than others?


no it jsut means you need to find c couple of friends you can be yourself around. There isn othing wrong with only having a few freinds



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12 May 2008, 9:48 am

demoluca wrote:
I don't want a huge group of friends.

Ya hear that, mass media?


Ditto.



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12 May 2008, 10:06 am

It doesn't necessarily mean you are flawed. I don't think poor social skills is a meaningful "flaw," but there are plenty of real flaws, such as rudeness or dishonesty, that having no friends could signal.