The Long Search for Friendship and the Philosophy of Emergence
For the past 15 years, I’ve been searching for friends. Actively. Full-time. Yet, here I am, still feeling alone. I’ve found a few people along the way, but they don’t really talk to me much or offer support in the day-to-day. After so much effort, I can’t help but wonder: why hasn’t anything emerged? The Philosophy of Emergence teaches us that meaning, truth, and understanding come to us naturally, over time, through patience and observation. If I’ve spent 15 years searching, shouldn’t some close friendships have emerged by now? Fifteen years is a long time—long enough for so many other things to evolve in life. Yet, this one area feels stagnant, as if I’ve missed something crucial. It’s disheartening to reflect on this, but the Philosophy of Emergence also teaches us to let go of preconceived notions and expectations. Perhaps the friendships I’ve envisioned—philosophically deep, meaningful, and day-to-day supportive—haven’t emerged because I’ve been looking too hard, expecting them t...