I believe every relationship on the planet is based on friendship. Even with
parents, grandparents, siblings, spouse, children, colleagues, friends, taxi
drivers, bus conductors, restaurant waiters, even total strangers! [and just
restricting it to within humans]
And in this perspective depending on the relationship we create so many
invisible contracts… like:
I will be your friend IFF:
– you cook for me and take care of the kids
– you don’t pay attention to anybody else except me
– you like everything that I like
Of course just a few random examples, though the actual list is long.
There’s a Calvin and Hobbes comic…
C: Here, Hobbes. I’ve drawn up a friendship contract for you to sign. (giving him a paper)
H: A contract?
C: Right. It codifies the terms of our friendship. We can renegotiate in 20 years.
H: People are friends because they want to be, not because they have to be!
C: Right. That’s what this fixes.
H: If your friendships are contractual, you don’t have any. (returning the paper)
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