A shift in perspective

I've been doing a potential unhealthy amount of thinking recently. One of the things that kept coming up was the idea of individuality. My train of thought went something like this:

Humans are unique >
We are unique because of our combination of interests and traits >
This is not the whole truth >
We are unique because of our unique connections to other people >
We create unique networks.

All of this landed me at one conclusion: The nature of the human connection is misconstrued. There is a lot of emphasis on the connection of love between people when the emphasis should be on the more ordinary connections between friends because it is these that define us as people. I find English to be inaccurate here. Greek is a better language because they had different words for the concept of 'love.' There was Eros, which is romantic/erotic love and Philia, which is love between close friends. We might use the words 'soul mate.'

My point is that we, as a culture, should focus more on the relationships of Philia than the relationships of Eros. Eros also as the concept of love in spite of flaws where Philia carries the concept of love because of flaws. It is in the nature of a friendship that both parties will come to accept and enjoy the difference between them. My best friend has always been quiet and a bit anti-social. I see these traits as flaws but that hasn't stopped us from being close friends to this day. In fact, I've come to admire his aloofness and separation from socio-politics. Not to the point where I would change myself, but to the point where I admit it's influence.

These connections are far more valuable than the fleeing connections of romance or even the lasting connection of a true love. The friends who we come to admire and respect become our greatest allies and champions, just as we become their loudest advocates. It's is this web of strong, interpersonal connections that make us truly unique.

I don't know what ramifications this will have on me or the future, but I do know that the only way to change the world is to change your mind about it. Having done that, the only solution to the unfolding equation is change.

Muah!
Lyrinoir