Did you know that there’s an International Day of Friendship which is celebrated on the 30th of July? It’s a celebratory day created by the UN and the goal is promote the importance of friendship in cultures worldwide.
To this extent, the UN encourages groups, governments, and organizations to make events and activities that promote unity, understanding, and compromises.
When the day was set back in 2011 by the UN, the idea was that friendship between people between cultures and countries can help make a harmonic society by building and nourishing bridges.
On this day, the emphasis is on diversity and respect for all cultures and involvement of young people as the leaders of the future.
But, Do We Really Know what It Means to Be a Friend?
Unfortunately, not many people know what being a true friend means. A friend is someone who you share with not just happy and good moments, but also your struggles.
You share kindness, sympathy, common interests, and beliefs with them.
You can meet a good friend anywhere; but not everyone you meet or know in your life is your friend.
And, you needn’t agree on everything to be good friends with that person, you can still disagree and grow your friendship.
Can You Disagree with Someone & still Be Friends?
Arthur Forman said that not everyone thinks the way you think, knows the things you know, believes the things you believe, nor act the way you would act. Remember this and you’ll go a long way in getting along with people.
Even though we mostly choose friends that align well with most of our lifestyle, you can also be good friends with a person who doesn’t agree about everything with you.
Surely, if we’re looking to align well with every person, we would live very lonely. We can’t consider agreement on all things as friendship criterion.
How to Navigate When You Don’t See Eye to Eye with Your Friends?
The first option in case of disagreement is to leave it to that and mutually agree that the topic is off limits.
Or, if you’re both rational people who’re able to debate things without involving anger or emotions, you can continue talking about it- both sides will learn new things.
You never know when you’ll have a healthy and beautiful philosophical discussion.
You just talk-without any anger, but with a goal of understanding more and learning more.
You can be respectful to people you disagree with. You work on your tolerance and your understanding, which is one of the most beneficial things we can learn in today’s society.
‘We argue, we fight, we talk, we reunite in spite of all the differences, I still love you at the end of the day.’ Utpala Kuchi
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