Published as part of the May 24, 2012 edition.
Guest Column
By Robert Z. Apostol
There is a brand of wealth that may be unknown, controversial or quite subtle. As a matter of act, the self proclaimed rich of this human sphere are not even concerned about any tax cuts at all.
Actually, many who find themselves in this situation of life are quite happy with the friends who enrich their lives and activities in which they are engaged ? professionally or otherwise.
Unlike much coveted material goods, though people cannot have enough of this type or wealth. This constitutes a human need without which a human being cannot be fulfilled.
As a matter of fact, in the 4th century BC Aristotle advocated his classic dictum that man is ?a social being.? That means that none of us can get by without the company, or support of, the friends in our midst.
While we are rational and capable of spiritual life we, are nonetheless not disembodied spirits. This requires continued interaction with fellow human beings with similar needs.
In his article entitled ?Friendship,? Bennet Helm suggests that ?Friendship, as understood here, is a distinctively personal relationship that is grounded on a concern on the part of each friend for the welfare of the other, for the other?s sake, and this involves some degree of intimacy.?
All this learning need not take place in a classroom or a conference hall. There is a critical message conveyed by an expanding ethnicity that undoubtedly hopes to diminish xenophobia.
Webster?s Ninth Collegiate Dictionary defines that unusual word as ?fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or anything that?s strange or foreign.? Fear not, as we may be getting used to diversity!
In our shrinking global village, we do make friends with interesting people at home or abroad. Most of these experiences have taught us so much about people of diverse backgrounds. Isn?t that wonderful?
This reinforces our national dictum declaring ?E Pluribus Unum? (suggesting that out of a diversity of people we constitute one nation) And there are many spheres that demand interaction of such diverse people.
Let us consider some activities that requires interaction. Notably in business, education and medicine. The oldest paradigm in business is in the Greek agora where people met to exchange ideas in the marketplace.
That kind of education has intensified in our modern times during which students seek out educators in and out of the classroom for active learning that requires constant questioning.
Perhaps very critical decisions in the sphere of medicine today do require a meeting of minds ? families, physicians and patients, all of whom require the attitude of comfort in their encounters, particularly since these require intense listening.
Patients seem to miss the proverbial avuncular doctor who knew our families and ailments with genuine and friendly compassion. Today one is lucky if the doctor knows your medical history well.
At least part of the blame of such an apparent depersonalization may have started what is known as managed care revolution whose advent began late last century.
While these changes were intended largely to control and cut costs, it ended up fracturing the doctor-patient bond and likewise friendship. Was it even at the expense of the quality of medical practice?
These demonstrates that there is absolutely no human institution that is not without some flaw affecting human relationship ? notably friendly dispositions such as compassion and empathy.
We live at time when Weltgeist (spirit of age) is becoming a paramount value of an expanding human community of friends superseding that of the body politic.
Nevertheless, we continue to maintain that mankind can and must continue to make progress beyond our primitive fear and hatred of those with whom we may not have any affinity and foster genuine friendship!
It is likewise necessary to realize that friendships emerge in natural situations ? the young and the aging, professionals and lesser mortals. It?s a wonderment to discern the good and beautiful in people we encounter!
Dr. Apostol served on the faculties of Loyola University of Chicago and Creighton University. He has traveled extensively to more than 50 countries, in some of which he lived and studied.
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