007 Distinction among knowledge-acquaintance-friendship and intimacy
How many of our friendships are NOT reciprocal? How many of our relationships are nishkAma (Sanskrit word meaning : expecting no results) ? 90% of people we meet in our life will not be fit to be our friends. Vice versa will also apply. That means, we may not be fit to be a friend of the persons we meet in our life. These persons, whom we meet, may be called acquaintances. We can find four levels of our interactions with people. 1. Simple Knowledge only : We know the persons very superficially. Our encounter and meeting with them may be on some purpose as business. They are like co-travellers on a short journey. 2. Acquaintance : This is level 2, a promotion from superficial knowledge. We know some of the qualities of the person, because we have already undertaken a few transactions (not necessarily money) with them and by and large they are satisfactory. Yet these experiences are not sufficient for friendship. Some quotes/usages of the word acquaintance: "