The Purpose of Friendship

The problem of friendship is often a lack of a sense of purpose. Our attempts at friendship tend to be directionless because we collectively resist developing a clear picture of what friendship might really be for. 

Yet, purpose doesn't have to ruin the friendship. On the contrary, the more we define what friendship is supposed to be, the more we can focus on what we should be doing with the people in our lives.

1. Networking. We need collaborators who can align their abilities and energies with ours.
2. Reassurance. We're always on the verge of disgrace or disappointment. We need true friends to give us a necessary and accurate sense of their humiliations and insights with which we can judge ourselves and our lives more compassionately.
3. Fun. The pressure to guard our dignity, be serious and pass as a mature adults can become onerous. That's why we need to be silly with some friends.
4. Clarifying our minds. Something is wrong,  but we can't pin it down. The thinking friend assists us with knowing ourselves.