On a More Selfless Kind of Friendship
I remember being struck immediately by her openness and sincerity. The barrier of entry to our friendship seemed non-existent. One of my favorite things about her is her unbounded generosity. I think that people need to stop using the word “sweet” to describe everyone they meet, because it’s a word that is starting to lose its meaning.
There must be another word for someone who lends you her clothes like it's nothing, compliments you genuinely on the things you care most about, invites you into her life, and shares her friends with you like it's the most natural thing in the world.
I wish that more people approached life with her generous attitude toward others. As one grows older and enters the career space, one is increasingly tempted to view relationships with a transactional mindset. When purely self-centered intentions accompany activities like networking, insincerity can make things unenjoyable for all those involved. “What can I get out of this relationship” is a question that shouldn’t be constantly on our minds.
In one of my classes right now, we just finished a unit where we examined significant themes of sacrifice in the Bible. Sacrifice can take many forms and is especially valuable when thinking about relationships. It requires generosity… which is why generosity is such an important virtue in friendship, which is all about sacrifice.
People like to reference the five love languages (acts of service, physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time, and gift giving) which are actually each a nod to generosity!
Claire Cordonnier is a spring 2025 intern for National Review Institute. She is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree at New York University, and plans to major in politics and journalism. Before beginning her studies at NYU, Claire spent a gap semester interning for non-profit organizations–The Borgen Project and the Childhood Cancer Society–and working as a barista in a local coffee shop.
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