The one about Friendship
Despite the non-blogging, I continue to exist. I have mistakenly TiVo'ed the entirety of my cable-provider's offerings (much as I once read the entire internets) and cannot bring myself not to watch what I once thought important. This largely consists of nature programming in high-definition (which I whole-heartedly recommend, by the way) and what passes in 2007 for Thirtysomething (which I do not). My brain alternates between expanding and then having the newly expanded portions immediately rot away, such that the net effect is zero, apart from time (whose arrow points to the right no matter what that boob Einstein said). Fortunately I was incredibly smart to begin with, basically a super genius (Overconfidentii Vulgaris) and as such I fill the remainder of my leisure hours with reading. I have kept up with my resolution to read a book a month by reading The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis.Lewis, best known for his Chronicles of Narnia series, is considered one of the most influential Christian writers of all-time, despite having been an avowed atheist for over a quarter of his life. In Four Loves, he investigates and explains the different types of love we experience. It is largely written in the Western Christian tradition and, although some passages are excruciatingly stuffy, much of it is easily accessible and relatable. The following are two short paragraphs on Friendship that stood out to me:
For us of course the shared activity and therefore the companionship on which Friendship supervenes will not often be a bodily one like hunting or fighting. It may be a common religion, common studies, a common profession, even a common recreation. All who share it will be our companions; but one or two or three who share something more will be our Friends. In this kind of love, as Emerson said, Do you love me? means Do you see the same truth? - Or at least, "Do you care about the same truth?" The man who agrees with us that some question, little regarded by others, is of great importance can be our Friend. He need not agree with us about the answer. -- p. 65
Hence (if you will not misunderstand me) the exquisite arbitrariness and irresponsibility of this love. I have no duty to be anyone's Friend and no man in the world has a duty to be mine. No claims, no shadow of necessity. Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art, like the universe itself (for God did not need to create). It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival. -- p. 71
posted by tinyhands @ 11:59 PM
8 Comments:
I would love to disagree with him when he says "God did not need to create" but I deep down, I can't.
I hope you're happy with yourself. Under "Previous Posts" over there on the right sidebar, you almost have ALL of the first three words consistently reading "the one about".
One more to go.
Z- Isn't that an interesting thought? Need. There's a little bit more in the book about that, but it's not the focus.
J- Yes, but do you know from whom I stole it? :P
I KNOW I KNOW.
and this blog entry is the perfect hint.
I know the answer re: 'The one about' as well. Is there a cash prize for the correct answer?
Mimi- Yeah, but you know all my secrets, so that doesn't count.
DCTL- No, but if you find some money laying around you can pretend like I'm the one who dropped it.
Damn, ya know, when I started reading your "The One About..." series I knew exactly what it was. Now, my brain is too fried. Interestingly enough, another friend is reading C.S. Lewis and quoted something quite profound about memories or something that I've also forgotten.
Luckily, I haven't forgotten you, Peach Wrangler.
Too little sleep on my end- can't give anything worth while as far as a comment. Just a hello.
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