Friendship: The Heart’s Eternal Treasure

ABM Zakirul Haque Titon

“He who has no friends is unfortunate, and he who claims everyone as a friend has none.” Within this saying lies the profound philosophy of friendship. It cannot be measured in numbers; it is a matter of quality, trust, and spiritual affinity.

Although human beings are social by nature, true friendship is forged over time—on the dust-laden fields of childhood, along the benches of schoolrooms, in college corridors, and amid the debates of university life. Growing together, dreaming together, erring together—through such shared experiences an invisible bond takes root deep within the soul. This bond is not a contract, nor a calculation of interests; it is a sanctuary of unconditional trust and reliance.

I believe that genuine friendship transcends differences of opinion and ideology. Childhood quarrels or the disagreements of adulthood do not shatter true bonds; rather, they temper and refine them. As the proverb suggests, gold is purified in intense fire. So too are relationships—proven authentic in the furnace of adversity.

A friend is one before whom one may lay bare life’s joys and sorrows, failures and darkness, even one’s weaknesses, without fear. Yet anyone who carries those confidences elsewhere is unworthy of the name. Friendship cannot thrive in poverty of spirit; it demands the courage to stand beside a friend in danger and the generosity to rejoice selflessly in their success. What cannot always be said within the family may be entrusted to a friend—because friendship does not judge; it understands.

The Philosophical Dimensions of Friendship

From antiquity to modern times, thinkers have hailed friendship as life’s finest treasure.

William Shakespeare observed that few joys equal the happiness of recalling good friends.
Rabindranath Tagore likened a friend to a rose—a rare soul from whom we seek tenderness and sympathy.
Aristotle famously described friendship as “a single soul dwelling in two bodies,” maintaining that old friendships are the strongest and most enduring.
Ali ibn Abi Talib warned that the friendship of a fool may ruin even the wise, and that a true friend sacrifices personal interest for another’s good.
Socrates regarded friendship as the cement that binds the world together.
Plato emphasised unity among friends.
Helen Keller declared, “Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.”
Shibram Chakraborty wittily remarked that true friends are found in childhood; later in life, one meets enemies and ‘non-enemies’.
Albert Einstein considered friendship, alongside art and science, one of life’s most beautiful attainments.
Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us that in the end we remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.
Saadi Shirazi wrote that a stranger has no friend except another stranger.
Friedrich Nietzsche described a faithful friend as a life-preserving shadow.

The essence of all these reflections is singular: friendship signifies trust, responsibility, and spiritual unity.

Friendship and the Workplace

In later life, particularly in professional settings, the term ‘friend’ is often used lightly. Yet collegiality is not the same as friendship. There may be warmth and cooperation at work, but conscious or unconscious interests, professional distance, and invisible walls remain. Friendship, by contrast, is free of calculation; it is the unrestrained journey of the heart.

Friendship Between Men and Women

In our society, friendships between men and women are sometimes constrained by misunderstanding or social reserve. Where suspicion or concealment exists, open-hearted friendship struggles to flourish. Its essential conditions are transparency and emotional sincerity—without secrecy or hidden agendas.

Memory, Reunion, and Nostalgia

After long years of professional toil and domestic complexities, one may suddenly wonder: where are those childhood friends? Where is that carefree companionship? From the depths of the heart arises the simple question—“My friend, how are you?”

Thus, I endeavour to attend alumni gatherings of Bogura Zilla School, college, and university whenever possible. Such occasions mean vibrant reunions with seniors, juniors, and old companions. Yet harsh realities sometimes intervene, leaving the heart heavy. In such moments one realises more deeply that time spent with friends is life’s truest accumulation of wealth.

Conclusion

Friendship is not a luxury; it is a spiritual necessity. One who has even a single true friend is wealthy. One surrounded by countless ‘friends’ yet hollow within is impoverished.

Friendship does not arise from fleeting acquaintance or selfish exchange. It grows through long companionship, tested trust, and silent support. It means standing shoulder to shoulder in danger; rejoicing selflessly in success; offering gentle correction in error; and remaining quietly present in times of darkness.

To lose a friend is to lose a part of oneself. Therefore, be slow to form friendships, but once formed, cherish them with care. A true friend is life’s most precious, yet priceless treasure—something no wealth on earth can purchase overnight. I urge everyone: even at the cost of personal concession, preserve friendship for a lifetime. For such a bond cannot be acquired in exchange for anything the world can offer.