Diversity of Friendship

In social capital theory similarities between people is the elixir for initiating a relationship. That is, every connection in our lives had some initiation of similarity in getting the relationship rolling. Think about your friends today - and I know you can track back to how that relationship started, and if you reflect a little deeper you will find the similarity that got the ball rolling.

The interesting notion here is however, that for all the similarities you have, every relationship also presents differences. And these differences can be sharp and sometimes off-setting. One powerful example that really makes this case might be found in the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. All of us have either friends or family members that differ on how they view Donald Trump. This divide has tested many relationships and may have even ended long term connections.

Yet the differences we have from our social capital are important for personal growth. That is, when we discover differences with our friends it pushes us to deal with it - to try to understand the reasons behind the difference, and to come to accept these differences if we want to maintain the connections. In a way, these differences or diversity that we have with people are then instructive. They broaden us and can make us bigger people.

Or we can just walk away, and through our narrowness, lose an important connection in our life. So, where do you stand on tolerating your friends differences?