Hearts Over Hashtags: How True Friendship Can Reconnect the World

Dr Rameez Ahmad

 “Friendship Days should move beyond celebrations—it should spark a global shift from hostility to humanity.”

Friendship, in its truest sense, is unconditional. It transcends race, religion, class, and nationality. It asks for nothing but sincerity. Yet in today’s world, where convenience often replaces commitment, genuine companionship is becoming rare. Not every hand that waves is a friend. Not every smile is sincere.

In traditional Kashmiri society, and indeed across many cultures, friendships were not announced—they were lived. Friends stood by you in silence, defended your dignity in your absence, corrected you in private, and celebrated your success without envy. These bonds were powerful not because they were visible, but because they were real.
In contrast, we now confuse visibility with value. A friend who shows up online is often preferred over the one who quietly shows up at your door. But true friendship is not seasonal, nor selective—it doesn’t fear your failures or fade during your difficult phases.

We live in a time of deep divisions—wars raging for dominance, communities fractured by hate, and nations locked in an endless arms race. Humanity is bleeding from wounds inflicted not by nature, but by human hands. Amidst this chaos, what the world desperately needs is not another treaty or weapon, but something profoundly simple: friendship rooted in empathy.

This is not naive idealism. It is a practical truth. History proves that alliances built on trust and respect last longer than those based on fear and greed. Peace cannot be legislated—it must be lived. And it begins with how we treat those closest to us.

There was a time when even popular culture carried a message of hope and humanity. Who can forget those golden lines:

“Nafrat ki duniya ko chhod kar, pyaar ki duniya mein khush rehna mere yaar…”
(Leave the world of hatred behind and find joy in a world of love.)

Those words once inspired societies to value compassion over conflict. Today, however, much of our media glorifies consumerism, commodification, superficiality, and division.

“Billions have walked this earth and left. None remained but their memories. In this short span, among billions, we meet only a handful of souls deeply (among our contemporaries). Treasure them. Value them. Because true friendship is among life’s rarest blessings—worth far more than wealth or status.”

True friendship reveals itself in hardship. It thrives when the world turns its back. It does not calculate benefits or keep a scorecard of favors. As philosophers from Aristotle to Rumi reminded us, the highest form of friendship is one that seeks goodness for the other—not gain for the self.

Too often today, we confuse performance for presence. Friendship is not a selfie moment; it is sitting silently beside someone in pain. It is showing up when it costs you something. It is love without agenda.

Moreover, in this age of hyperconnectivity, many souls remain adrift. While people seem more “connected” than ever—scrolling, liking, commenting—such digital gestures often lack the depth true friendship demands. No app can substitute the silent presence of someone who simply sits beside you in pain, or the comfort of a hand held during despair. Being seen on a screen is not the same as being truly known. Human touch, eye contact, and shared silence have no digital equivalents.

Digital friendships, too, come with their risks. Behind the illusion of closeness lie vulnerabilities—misplaced trust, misuse of personal content, or even emotional harm. Fake profiles, hidden intentions, and shallow validation often turn digital connection into deception. In such spaces, we must tread carefully—for not every smile on a screen is sincere, nor every word typed, true.

And yet, beyond the physical and virtual lies something deeper. True friendship is not about meeting frequently or chatting daily—it is about souls connected across distance and time. It is the silent prayer, the felt absence, and the unwavering care without expectation—a connection rooted not in proximity but in shared humanity and spiritual kinship.

Ironically, while technology connects billions, loneliness is at record highs. We scroll past curated happiness while silently craving real connection. Our online “friends” number in hundreds, yet our hearts ache for one soul that truly cares.

It brings to mind another haunting line from an old Bollywood melody:

“Dekh tere sansaar ki haalat, kitni badal gaya insaan…”
(Look at the state of your world, how much mankind has changed.)

The lyrics resonate now more than ever, in a time when humanity seems to be losing its essence in the glare of screens and the race for validation.

Friendship Day should not end with a status update. It should be a turning point—a reminder to move from shallow networks to meaningful bonds, from convenience to commitment.

If this day means anything, let it mean this: Let us end the wars fought for land and ego. Let us end the race for wealth and weapons. Humanity is dying of thirst—not from lack of resources, but from lack of compassion.

So instead of conquering lands with violence, let us conquer hearts with love and sympathy. Let friendship—not fear—be the foreign policy of each nation. Let empathy—not enmity—guide our actions.

As one timeless truth reminds us: Life is short. Souls are few. And friendships shape not only our journey—but our destiny.

(The author is former Senior Research Fellow in Sociology from Aligarh Muslim University)

The post Hearts Over Hashtags: How True Friendship Can Reconnect the World appeared first on Daily Excelsior.

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