Friendship Dynamics, Sexuality Development, and Ethics
Understanding Self-Esteem and Relationship Challenges
Self-esteem: A natural feeling, distinct from self-love, selfishness, or pride.
Common Relationship Issues
- Jealousy: One of the most frequent issues in relationships.
- Infidelity: This causes serious conflicts and relationship breakdowns.
- Violence: Disappointment when love ends can sometimes lead to violence against a former loved one.
Understanding Friendship
Concept of Friendship
Friendship, a type of love occurring between equals, is the manifestation of mutual, free, and disinterested affection that originates and develops between two or more people.
Levels of Friendship
- Acquaintances: People with whom one has superficial interaction, lacking deep trust or intimate experience.
- Group Members: Individuals belonging to the same group, sharing a sense of solidarity.
- Comrades: People who study or work closely together.
- Potential Friends: People we feel at ease with and whose presence is attractive, suggesting potential for a closer relationship.
- True Friends: A very small group of people whose value is immense and hard to quantify.
Ethical Considerations in Friendship
- Adulation: Telling a friend only what they like to hear, not what is truly in their best interest.
- Hypocrisy: Hiding true feelings and simulating virtues one does not possess towards a friend.
- Parasitism: Seeking a friendship primarily for personal gain or utility.
- Cronyism: Mutual favoritism among friends, often involving unfair advantages.
Understanding Human Sexuality
Defining Sex and Sexuality
Sex: The set of biological characteristics that differentiate males from females.
Sexuality: The way an individual expresses their masculinity or femininity.
Sex (according to E. Amezua): Sexologist E. Amezua defines sex as the genetic structures determined from fertilization that define an individual as masculine or feminine.
Sexuality (Model): The pattern or model through which an individual expresses themselves as male or female.
Stages of Sexual Development
Childhood
Sigmund Freud noted that sexuality is not confined to genitals, discovering sexual feelings in young children. Pleasure is not limited to fondling.
Puberty
Puberty is the best-known stage of sexual development due to the significant physical changes occurring in both sexes.
In Girls:
Puberty typically starts with the first menstruation (menarche) and the reproductive phase generally ends with menopause around age 50.
In Boys:
Puberty begins with the production of sperm, which typically continues throughout life.
Adolescence
Adolescence begins after reaching sexual maturity during puberty. It is a decisive stage in psychological development as individuals seek their own identity.
Adulthood
An adult is typically defined as someone who has achieved physical development and social stability. Sound decisions often stem from deeper reflection. Previous sexual development stages pave the way for more intimate relationships.
Maturity and Old Age
Sexuality continues even after decisions about childbearing are made or when a woman reaches menopause. While the procreative function may cease, sexuality itself endures.
Ethical Reflection on Sexuality
In Western society, there is constant exposure to messages that can reduce sexuality to a mere object of consumption.
Ethical considerations include respect for individuals and their wishes.