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Bryan Lomeli
English 102
Essay on Human Nature
6 March 2015
The Human Nature of Life
Friendship has existed for a very long time. It is a humans desire to bond with others to
such an extent that it can be argued it is practically a basic need in life. What makes up
friendship determines on which individual you ask, but you will always get a universal response.
Friendship is a quality we hold to a high degree because it is the condition to understand one
another and be understood by one another. It is the ability to be there at all times, show
compassion, and even love unconditionally when needed most.
When people feel lonely, cramped, and helpless all by themselves who do they turn to
when family isnt available? Who comes to mind when they are in that situation? The person
they picture is the person who has been by their side when similar situations have arisen. They
have been there when nobody else was available. When nobody was able to come and lift them
up and guide themthat person did approach and lead them. They unknowingly help you
biologically because, being social boosts your immune system (Vann). They reconstruct the
premise that just being there is not enough. They are there any day, any minute, and any second
to comfort you. They give you a tranquility to be at ease and most importantly a serenity that
encases you with peace. Friendship has neurological benefits besides emotional ones as well
because, Loneliness is associated with more than double the risk of developing dementia
(McKay). Furthermore, friendships not only help battle dementia but, Participating in many

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leisure activities builds brain resilience (McKay). Lastly, McKay even summarizes that being
lonely is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Some people consider having social media friends as true friendship. Some argue that
they can relate with others because they post, exchange, and share to one another, but what they
lack is face- to-face friendship. For instance, Robin Dunbar (The University of Oxford
anthropologist and psychologist) examined that, one of the things that keep face-to-face
friendships strong is the nature of shared experience (Konnikova). Humans desire bonding
with others and without it, lack deeper connections to them (Konnikova). People will then tend
to build superficial relationships that lack physical connections and experiences that make
humans closer to one another.
Social media has a bigger impact on true friendship because it does not just drain
profound friendships, but hinders social bonding. Dunbar and his colleagues have noted that, a
pat, or a squeeze of the arm or hand, we can communicate a deeper bond than through speaking
alone (Konnikova). It depicts that through the web humans cannot grasp one another and love
one another. Social media friends cannot aide you physically or mend your broken heart, but true
face-to-face friends can. Not only do true friends mend the heart, but even when you appear that
you have healedthey revamp friendship further by showering you with compassion and social
bonding. They hug you with tenderness and warmth to elicit a sensation of love. They entrust a
perception of importance that educes a void if your presence fades. They propagate to everyone
that you matter, that you are paramount, that you leave a ripple in the ocean of humanity. When
they give you compassion it is not because they are obligated to do sobut because they are a
friend. Until social media is able to replicate those emotions with touch they will never be able to
replace the delicacy of social bonding and friendship.

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Ultimately, when presence and compassion felt seems sufficient, they continue to
inundate a feeling of love. They take Ann Landers words out of her mouth that, love is a
friendship that has been caught on fire. Its loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less
than perfection and makes allowance for human weakness (Ann Landers Quote). Friends
completely understand that love consists also of loyalty because it tests them on what friendship
is. It guides them to fully comprehend that individuals arent made of stone, and when people fall
that sense of having a friend there makes life is little more enduring.
People may say that family is just as important and they are, but do those people ask
themselves the question if family can always be physically with you? Sometimes friends are
needed to fill the void. Sometimes family does not let you choose your identity in this world, but
friends give you the total freedom to be yourself and understand. Sometimes when your parents
are shaping you who to become in this world, friends are shaping you to be a bird that soars into
the world without a fear in your soul; not to mention, Friends can give you vital life
skills(Whitbourne). Susan recognizes the welfare friends give us: There are many perks of
friendship include sharpening your mind, making you generally happier, knowing yourself better,
becoming inspired to reach your goals (Whitbourne). Susan comprehends the beauty of
friendship and the immensity towards a healthy mental state.
Great friendships are immaculate. They biologically, psychologically, and emotionally
help individuals achieve a state of prosperity within. They help individuals overcome obstacles,
boast health, and enhance a mental state. True friendship is silent beauty that transcends any
human construct. True friendship is more meaningful than words in the human language; it is the
Quintessence of life.

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Works Cited
"Ann Landers Quote." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/annlanders143025.html>.
Konnikova, Maria. "The Limits of Friendship - The New Yorker." The New Yorker. Ed. Robert Dunbar.
New Yorker, 07 Oct. 2014. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.
Mckay, Sarah. "Why Friendship Is Great For Your Brain: A Neuroscientist Explains." MindBodyGreen.
MIndBodyGreen, 11 Mar. 2014. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
Vann, Madeline. "The Importance of Friendships." EverydayHealth.com. Ed. Patt F. Bass.
EverydayHealth, 22 Dec. 2009. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
Whitbourne, Susan K. "Fifteen Reasons We Need Friends." Psychology Today. Psychology Today, 26
Mar. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.