If you have ever had an ethics class in college, maybe your professor had you read Nicomachean Ethics written by Aristotle like my professor did. If so you may remember the part where Aristotle talks about three different types of friendships, and if not, I don't blame you because that book totally sucked.
If you don't remember the different types of friendships or don't even know what the heck I am talking about I'm going to give you a little "lesson" on friendships of utility. My least favorite kind of friendship but the one I find myself most caught up in.
What is a friendship of utility?
It is simply a friendship based on the saying "I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine," and once your back is no longer "itchy," you no longer need me to scratch your back. This also means you no longer need me as a friend.
Wait, but what if my back is still itchy? Well hey, that sucks for me because you don't need me anymore so why would you do something for me as simple as scratching my back?
It is sad how you can be friends with someone for so long and all of a sudden that friendship vanishes into thin air.
It frustrates me (more than it probably should) that I can't figure out where the disconnect is between me and some of the people that used to be my best friends. I guess thats just how life goes?
If you have never experienced this you're probably thinking- accept it and move on, but thats easier said than done.
I guess my reason for posting this article is because I am interested to find out who else struggles with these kinds of friendships.
I find myself obsessing over friendships like these from time to time which is very unhealthy. I typically blame myself for the "expiration" of my friendships. I ask myself questions like: Where did I go wrong? Could I have done more to keep the friendship alive? When in reality there is probably nothing I could have done to prevent it.
This is one of the many struggles that I am faced with on a day to day basis and I figured it was time to become vocal about it and not keep it buried inside.
