Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher talked about three types of friendships; friendships of utility, friendships of pleasure and friendships of the good. In the first type of friendships, people come together because of the benefits each brings to each other, the likes of business partners. Friendships of pleasure refers to those where people sharing similar interests come together to have some fun while the friendships of the good are friendships based on respect, appreciation for each other’s qualities, and a strong will to help the other person. In the Meghiya Sutta, Buddha advocated the importance of having good friends. In the advent of developing mindfulness, skillful and honorable friends help. People often learn by example, by watching how other do thing. Understandably, it is important to be with people who can influence a person in a wholesome way. Which of Aristotle's three types of friendships do you think fits here?
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