True Friendship Never End
Friday, 26 December 2014 posted at 05:31
Friends are very important in our lives. Friendships are easily formed
when we are young and do not demand too much out of it. According to studies
and research, humans tend to form highest number of friendships at
kindergarten and primary level. However, one tends to have less friends as
one grows older and wiser. This is because we realize there are good friends
and bad ones.
The saying that a friend in need is a friend indeed is very apt in this
scenario because good friends are those who are reliable and trustworthy. at
a younger age, our demands are not too high regarding friendships as we rely
mostly on our parents, siblings and relatives for important things. The
friends we formed at this age are merely considered playmates rather than
companions and confidants. Thus, our expectations of them are not high.
More serious friendships are formed when one enters puberty and achieves
certain level of maturity. the latter allows one to forge fellowship with
those who share the same interests, passion as well as similar moral and
religious values. Thus, it is not surprising to observe that in some Asian
country, mature students at the upper secondary level have friends of the
same ethnic and religious backgrounds. At the university level, it is even
more apparent. Even the Ministry of education has voiced concern over this
phenomenon where polarization is prominent. The Indians, Chinese and Malays
hardly mix with each other and are seen usually in the company of their own
kind.
One of the main reasons for polarization among university students is
that as they reach a certain level of maturity, common binding factors such
as religion, customs and traditions play important role in selection of
friends or mates. In addition, since majority of these students come from
rural backgrounds where there is not much cultural interchange, they feel
rather awkward to forge friendships with students of other races. However,
this does not mean the students are racist or suffer from superiority
complex. Thus, the university should introduce more programs that allow
cultural and religious mixing and understanding of the other.
Nevertheless, in the working world, a different scenario prevails. One
finds Indians, Chinese and other races forging stable and long lasting
friendships. This is most probably due o the fact that to be productive in
one's work, one has to believe in team work. The latter actually enhances the
bond between the workers and eventually long lasting friendships are formed.
In fact, this situation has even led to many inter racial marriages between
the three major races. the products of the intermarriages are very unique as
they have friends and relatives from both ethnic backgrounds.
Summary by: Nur Sarah Akmal
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Labels: Nur Sarah Akmal
