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Topic starter
09/03/2023 3:08 pm
Let me tell you a story about Socrates, he once asked Cretobolous, the son of his lifelong friend Crito, for help. He was just about to enter adult society in Athens and wanted to introduce himself to influential and powerful people. He asked Socrates to help him network and make friends.
As he often did, Socrates started with banal questions about what qualities an ideal friend possesses. They discussed how an ideal friend would treat someone when they were sick, lend money when they were broke, and give advice if they were falling in with the bad company. However, he then asked Cretobolous how many of these qualities he possessed himself, and he admitted that he didn't possess any.
Socrates explained to him that he was going about it all wrong. He was asking Socrates to introduce him to the best friends that they could find, but if he didn't have the qualities that make a good friend, people would figure that out and not want to be friends with him. Moreover, it would ruin his reputation as a matchmaker of friends. Socrates suggested that he focus on becoming an ideal friend himself, and then people would be falling over themselves to introduce him to the best people they knew.
He often told people that they confuse appearance with reality. Cretobolous was focused on presenting himself as a good friend rather than actually becoming one. He should have focused on the inner core or the reality of being a good friend, rather than the superficial external aspect.
11/03/2023 9:56 pm
That's a really interesting story. It just goes to show that it's important to work on ourselves before trying to impress others. Building genuine relationships based on mutual respect and kindness is much more valuable than just trying to network for personal gain.
11/03/2023 10:08 pm
I think it's also a reminder that sometimes we need to take a step back and examine our own behavior and attitudes. It's easy to get caught up in what we think others want or expect from us, but ultimately, it's our own character that will shine through in any social or professional setting.
11/03/2023 10:09 pm
I completely agree. It's also important to remember that being a good friend isn't just about what we do for others, but also how we treat them on a day-to-day basis. Socrates' advice to focus on the inner core of being a good friend is something that can be applied to all areas of life, not just our relationships with others.
