Popularity and Friendship

Popularity

1. Being known by many people.
2. Being admired for either appearance or personality.
3. Being copied, obeyed, or followed by other people. 

Friendship

Aristotle, in ancient Greece, said that friendship has three components:
1. Having good will towards another person: being considerate and wanting the best for the other person.
2. Knowing that the other person has good will towards you.
3. Sharing at least one of these qualities: fun activities, usefulness, encouragement during hardships. 

Use any of these outlines to write a reflective essay.

Notice the symbols that indicate where you are to start a new paragraph.

A. Friendship versus Popularity

¶Aristotle, c.350 BCE, said that friendship has three components: good will, knowledge of that good will, and any of these qualities – fun, usefulness, encouragement in life.
¶I agree with Aristotle…. [Give examples from your own friendships.]
¶Popularity is different than friendship. It has these three components: being known by a lot of people, being admired for either appearance or personality, demonstrating leadership. In our school, I’ve noticed that… [Give some examples as evidence.]
¶Not all popular people have good will towards others. I’ve noticed that… [Provide evidence from your own experience.]
¶This is the type of person I want to be in life…. [Give your own opinion on this whole topic of popularity and friendship.]

 

B. The Past is still Alive

¶Just like in the Middle Ages, as shown in Crispin by Avi, I’ve noticed that some people act as if they are worth more than others….
¶Just like in Crispin’s time, I’ve noticed that not everyone who acts friendly has true good will….
¶I’ve noticed that…
¶I think that…
¶I want to be a person who…

[This page may be copied for use with students if the following credit is provided:
©2012 Sophie Rosen.]

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