The Friendship Illusion

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Friendship is a noble word, varnished in virtue and sparkling with sentiment. But, like most human inventions, it is prone to cracks under close examination. Humanity might be better off without its illusions, and surely, friendship belongs to that gilded category. For what is friendship but a transaction wrapped in ribbons, a partnership made palatable by smiles and shared secrets?

Consider the man who calls you “friend.” Does he admire your soul’s depths, or does he find your company merely tolerable? Does he love you, or does he love what you do for him? Friendship is the coin of human commerce, spent freely when times are good, but hoarded or abandoned altogether when storms roll in.

There is, of course, the delight of companionship—the shared laughter, the silent understanding, the moments that make life less solitary. But peel back the veneer, and you may find that the warmth of camaraderie is often fueled by convenience, circumstance, or the delicate need for validation.

True friends, it is said, are rare. Perhaps they are like pearls in the ocean, prized not for their abundance but for their rarity. But even pearls begin as irritants—grains of sand rubbing against the soft tissues of the oyster. Friendship, too, might originate from mutual annoyances polished over time into something shiny enough to be cherished, if only for a while.

We cling to the illusion of friendship like a gambler clutching a lotto ticket, certain that it holds the promise of fortune. Or perhaps it’s more like answering a call from “Scam Likely”—deep down, we know the truth, but we’d rather not admit it. After all, the fantasy is easier, kinder, more comforting than the stark reality that true friendship, like jackpots, is rarely won.

Friendship may well be a lie we tell ourselves to make the world seem less cold. But perhaps that is its saving grace. In a life filled with harsher truths, a beautiful illusion may be the kindest thing we have. And if one day the illusion fades, well, at least it made the journey a little brighter while it lasted.

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