Define:

I've been thinking a lot lately, which as you know is never good. I've been thinking about many things really. Some of the biggest things I've thought about have been words, word play, and definitions. So, I figured I would write down a few thoughts to share with everyone. Discussion is definitely welcome and wanted.

(If you want to play along, all definitions will be looked up, and selected as I see fit, by going to Google and typing "Define: {Insert Word}")

Friend
Class
In Conclusion

Friend
I think the first word I want to discuss is the term "friend". I'm very interest in the noun form of this word, so let's forget the verbal form for now.

"Friend"
1. A person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations

3. A person who is not an enemy or who is on the same side

• - she was unsure whether he was friend or foe

6. A contact associated with a social networking website

• - all of a sudden you've got 50 friends online who need to stay connected

Let's take a look at the first definition. My guess is that this would be what people say a general definition of what a "friend" is. Someone who shares something with you, whether it be a moment, a thing, or even just a laugh. This is the person you would take a bullet for. But look at the first part of the definition. "A person whom one knows..." I challenge you to think of the person you closest think of as a friend, and now think of all the things you know about them. Now, think of that same person and remember all the things they never told you. We all have our secrets that we can't even tell our friends, so I don't like this definition.

Now look at the third definition (it's third on here because it's third on the site...I know how to count.) It basically says that if someone is not your enemy, they must be your friend. How exactly is this logical? In my mind, if someone is not an enemy, they're not necessarily my friend, they're just someone I could get to know and determine where they truly stand on my "friend-enemy scale". So let's forget that definition.

Number 6. This is the definition that has taken over the world. This, in my opinion is the loosest definition of the word "friend" there is. How many people do you actually know or talk to on your friend list? How many people would knock you out of the way of a bus to save your life? You may know all the people, but are they close enough to call friend, or would they be an "Acquaintance"? The third definition for "Acquaintance" is

"A person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend"

Now that we have an idea of what a friend might consist of, tell me your personal definition of the word "friend".




Class
A word with many meanings and uses, but for today's blog I want one specific definition.

3. The system of ordering a society in which people are divided into sets based on perceived social or economic status

• - people who are socially disenfranchised by class
• - the class system

I actually like this definition, but it needs to be dissected to see the full meaning. The first thing that I see is that it is a system. A "system" is:

8. A set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized scheme or method.

So we now know that this version of a "class" is a set, organized society. We are "...divided into sets based on perceived social or economic status." Before we talk about the divisions, lets look up the definition of "perceive".

3. Interpret or look on (someone or something) in a particular way; regard as

• - if Guy does not perceive himself as disabled, nobody else should
• - some geographers perceive hydrology to be a separate field of scientific inquiry

I believe this definition would best suit the definition of "class" we're looking at. So we now see that to perceive is to look at someone, or something, in our own way. So who is it that truly decides the division of these "class(es)"? Well, let's first look at the "Economic Status". In this class, we have three basic types of class. We have: Upper Class, Middle Class, and Lower Class. This is generally determined by the amount of money that one makes or has obtained, as well as living arrangements and family. I have no major problem with the way this set is arranged, because this is basically telling us financial information, which most of us try to hide anyways.

The other set of class(es) that the definition gives us are social classes. Now these, unlike economic classes, can be perceived by anyone. This is where I have my issues with people. You can say or do something in front of someone and they will define you as a different class then someone who has known you for a while. You can perceive yourself as a higher class, then do something excellent for someone, the person you helped could see you as high class, the witness could see you as just doing what you are to do, and there's suddenly 3 different perceived classes of yourself (The one you helped, the witness, and your own). The social class can, and more than likely will, change erratically through your life.

As you go through your school years you will certainly change friends or opinions of those friends perceived by others will change, and you will be categorized as the person who hangs out with so-and-so. But, are we not all human beings? We all have feelings, we all have hard times, and we all know someone that is being judged for something they are not. Why is it that we must be horrible to people for something you see in them? People need to open there minds to the fact that others can be struggling in ways that they haven't thought of.

I've often been told to treat others as if they could be a threat to you, but I don't think that's right. Don't call me naive, but you really don't know why someone does the things they do. Look at all the school shootings. The people who did those things were suffering mentally, and at times physically, but no one really asked how they were until it was too late. Show concern and compassion for those around you. Don't write off people as automatically bad based on past experiences.

In Conclusion
I didn't mean to rant as much as I did, but it is 8:30 in the morning and I haven't slept much. But the whole point of this blog post is to make you look at the thought patterns of someone else. I would really like for all of those who read this to reply with your own definition and debates about all the things discussed. One of the best ways for improvement is to look at what others have to say, get all the opinions you can, and then make a decision on how you truly think. But, I'm rambling again, so have a nice day. :D