Day 1: What is a Friend? - A Stoic's Perspective

A disloyal friend? Hardly anybody would pronounce their desire for a disloyal friend. However, and more importantly for this sharing of ideas, we must consider what loyalty demands. And for now, we will consider its demand for trust. According to Seneca from one section of one letter from one book, friendship requires absolute trust. One should judge a person before declaring them to be a friend, and then after befriending them, they should confide in them with anything once considered one's own. However, one should be careful not to befriend a person AND THEN judge them. That, according to Seneca, is the improper route towards friendship.

Of course, like with all philosophy, this can be interpreted in a limitless amount of ways which could all be considered correct. I have drawn my own conclusions (which will most definitely change) which I will share.

Friendship should be exclusive. Speaking contemporarily, I'd say that Facebook epitomizes that point that Seneca is attempting to share (and if one were to read his passage on friendship, which is from Letter II of Letters from a Stoic, they would learn that this idea of friendship is connected with aimless wandering). If you have a person who you consider to be a friend, then you should ask yourself whether or not you are prepared to speak with them like you speak with yourself. Is there anything that you want to keep hidden from them? And if there is, then ask yourself why you don't feel comfortable to entrust them.

In regards to the judging apsect, I have to think much more about it before I can present even a half-respectable interpretation. Please offer your interpretations, I'd really enjoy reading them and discussing them (because, of course, I am far from understanding myself).

Freedom, Too Understood to be Pursued

The people are the ones who define their freedom, so, how can one not expect it to be restricted by the limitations of the nature of the human mind? Freedom shouldn’t be defined by an person, but should be pursued until death. It is never fully attained.