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I think many friendships are maintained as points of comparison, to stave off loneliness, or to reminisce about old times.

True friendship — and any edifying relationship, for that matter — requires a transcendent third: a shared cause greater than the individuals themselves, something in which they are united.

Many old friendships were built around “thirds” we’ve since outgrown: school, sports teams, belief systems, and so on.

Without a transcendent third, whether implicit or explicit, a relationship will always leave something to be desired.