Discardable friendships

You can never take anything for granted, especially with philosophers. I mean, there are these things that are almost holy cows. Things like love; like friendship. And, yet, you will find that philosophers will find a way to apply filters on them, like on everything else.

Like Tiru does here...

Paruguvaar polinum panbilaar kenmai perugalir kundral inidhu - Tirukkural

Enjoyable though the company may be, it is sweeter to diminish the friendship of the characterless than to allow it to flourish - Loose Translation

AND, thus, you can see that translation can be a bitch. I mean, I could have said 'Even if it be as much fun as a drinking bout, it's sweeter to reduce the friendship of the evil than to increase it'. But, then, I'd first of all get into unnecessary arguments about whether a drinking bout is actually fun or not. That's the problem with metaphors...and, these days, you cannot even use 'sweeter' without getting into debates about diabetes and carcinogens and what not.

Not to mention the fact that Tiru may not even have meant 'friendship of the evil' in this context. As in, yeah, it is true that the evil man IS to be shunned. People without integrity, who are undependable, who would cause intentional harm to those around  them either for their benefit or for their pleasure - people like that are to be avoided even if they are fun to be around when they want to be. But THAT is not all that Tiru is warning you about.

You see, how about the friend who loves having fun...and drags you along to movies even on the eve of important exams? How about a friend who loves experimenting on drugs and encourages you to 'live it up' without a care about possible future addiction? How about a friend who causes you to spend beyond your limits on frivolities while denigrating any impulse to caution?

You see, to CAUSE harm, people do not necessarily need to INTEND harm. It is enough that they are people who lack discipline and responsibility. Alas, these are the very guys who seem to be the most fun to be around. Till the time comes around to pay the bill. THEN you will know what irresponsible really means when YOU become answerable for their bills as well as yours. (AND I mean that metaphorically as well since all bills are not paid in money.)

It is best, therefore, to slowly withdraw yourself from such friendships before you get irrevocably dragged into the quicksand.