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A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed

The right BFF goals

“A friend is someone who helps you up when you’re down, and if they can’t they
lie down beside you and listen.” – ‘Winnie the Pooh’ (animated series / book).
Two friends Vijay and Raju were friends. On a holiday they went on a stroll
through walking into a forest, enjoying the beauty of nature. Suddenly they saw a bear
coming in their direction. They were frightened.
Raju, who knew could climbing trees, mounted a went up tree quickly. He didn’t
think of Vijay. In the impulse, he forgot Vijay who did not know how to had no idea of
climbing the trees.
Vijay thought for a second. He’d heard animals don’t prefer dead bodies, so he fell
to the ground and held his breath. The bear sniffed him and thought he was dead. So, it
went on its way.
Raju asked Vijay;
“What did the bear whisper in your ears?”
Vijay replied, “The bear asked me to keep away from friends like you” and went
on his way.
It might seem odd to take an evolutionary perspective on a question like true
friendship. After all, friendships are a matter of personal taste; they change over the
lifespan, and vary across cultures. But if there is one enduring truth about friendship, it is
that we want our friends to be there in times of need. This seems obvious to us, but it is
interesting to think that it could have been otherwise. It could have been that we judge
our friends by who spends the most time with us, or who brings joy to our lives most
often. Or it could have been that all friendships were fair-weather friendships that we
ended as soon as we stopped getting proportional returns.
St. Thomas Aquinas famously mused, “There is nothing on this earth more to be
prized than true friendship.” “Friends show their love in times of trouble and
not happiness,” wrote Greek philosopher Euripides. “A real friend walks in when the rest
of the world walks out,” quipped radio host Walter Winchel. Justin Bieber said: “friends
are the best to turn to when you’re having a rough day.”
(https://www.psychologytoday.com/za/blog/real-talk/201709/the-evolution-true-
friendship) this material is plagiarised material copied (more than 50 words) from
internet, could bring legal implications if sources are not mentioned.
Of course, (can use needless to say instead) we want our friends to be around
when times are tough. That is what friends are for! But why? Why do we place such
emphasis on our friends being there during tough times? This seemingly simple question
is actually part of a deep evolutionary puzzle.
The puzzle starts with acknowledging that friendships exist because two people
can benefit from the relationship. It makes us uncomfortable to think of our friends in
these terms, as people who can benefit us
When we are sick, sad or broke - that’s when we really (not used in contemporary
English, instead use truly or don’t use anything) need our friends - but being in such a
sorry state means that we are at least capable of returning the favour. This creates the
unfortunate incentive for our friends to abandon us when our need is greatest. And this
happens. The solution to the paradox, of course, is that true friends do not abandon us in
times of need because they know that when we return to health, happiness, or gainful
employment, we will repay them the favour.