The Triumph of Friendship: A Tale of Bonds Beyond Respect and Devotion

Three important relations: friendship, respect, and devotion. When you have a friendly relationship with someone, you have the freedom to talk about anything, ask questions, share jokes, have fun, share experiences, enjoy each other's company, walk together, and do things together based on the depth and level of your friendship. You can form friendships with anyone, such as teachers, professors, colleagues, classmates, parents, siblings, neighbors, and even people you initially didn't know but later got to know. However, when it comes to respect, its level determines the nature of your relationship with the person you respect. For example, if you show respect to your professor but hesitate to ask questions, they will behave accordingly. In this case, they may not consider you a friend and interact with you as a student. Consequently, they may even give you lower marks compared to those who confidently maintain a friendly relationship, even if you are better than them academically. This scenario often unfolds in college settings. Thus, the person who prioritizes respect tends to create more distance in relationships compared to someone who focuses on maintaining friendly connections. Those who are solely devoted to someone, particularly in the context of religious practices, often refrain from asking for anything. This is prevalent in India, where many saints have followers who have never met them personally but purchase their pictures, worship them, and refrain from asking questions out of fear of disrespecting their revered figure. Consequently, they become mindlessly devoted and subservient forever. The moral of the story is that friendship is the most valuable relationship compared to others.