People have forgotten what it means to Trust.
We can change that.

I was blown away finding out people thought Frodo and Sam were gay or allegorically gay. Like can dudes just not be good buds?

I see over and over again people saying "everybody needs a friend like Sam".

Almost never I've seen someone saying "we need to be a friend like Sam"

It isnt even friendly interactions between two men anymore. Ive seen twitter gooners talk about how there is "no heterosexual reason for Lex Luther to be this obsessed with Superman"

So even enemies cant escape the accusations.

I'm glad there's someone else who sees Gon and Killua as friends.

CS Lewis would add that you cannot chase joy, but through his friendships he became more open to it and thus suprised by joy more often. Harnessing the inner childhood wonder. Thanks for the video and reminder to be more intentional about this

This is honestly my biggest problem with the Kpop Demon Hunters fandom. Hunter/x are like sisters at this point, having trained for years together. Why can’t they just be close platonically? Romantic love isn’t the only kind of deep, fulfilling love. Let my girls be sisters by choice, not by blood!

I find that so annoying nowadays, whenever people see two dudes bein' best buds, people just needs or must assume that they're a couple or just HAVE TO BE an item. Brotherhood and camaraderie are essential and valuable matters for people, especially men and it's been polluted, distorted and even criticized and demonized by modern media.

It’s so true that real and deep friendships are gone in our culture. Since everyone is only focused on romantic relationships they completely ignore or diminish their attention on deep meaningful friendships even in guy girl friendships that are obviously platonic. It’s very sad and we need to get back to this time where we focus and respect and highlight true friendship again!!! Let’s do it!

I think that's what makes these stories and characters so iconic. There is something timeless and incredibly beautiful about pure friendship. It's a shame modern society has to go and pervert everything. 😒

Today if two dudes hang out people automatically assume you're an item.
This is sad that no one can understand true friendship.
Less than a Wife and more than a Brother...

Friendship has become transactional instead of platonic love. If you can't help me increase my worth you're a burden. That kind of thinking, while helpful for getting away from toxic people, has in itself become toxic.

I'm glad that others have noticed this. I'm a big anime fan and the community's obsession with excessive shipping bothers me, because I value and want to see healtht friendships just as much as romantic love.

Shipping should be just fun and games, I get it (I do it too.) But it's got to the point where certain audiences can't separate their own fun/headcanons from what is actually in the text (or the author's intentions.) Characters can no longer care for one another, protect one another, or even stand next to each other without one fan insisting that there's "hidden romantic intentions."

And anime/manga that does delve into deep friendships get mixed reception from American audiences. It's either morphed for the sake of shipping. Or it is made fun of for daring to show a group of people come together.

It's so confusing. Why do so many young Americans refuse to acknoweldge and celebrate friendship in fiction (let alone reality)?

You can tell your friends "I love you" and mean it platonically. You can hug your friends without hidden feelings/intentions. You can consider a person an extremely imporrant part of your life because that's how much you value their friendship.

Love comes in many forms, and this level of platonic love is one of them.

You are not alone, man! I totally relate to longing for the brotherhood seen in Lord of the Rings and Band of Brothers only to be disillusioned by the fact that it no longer exists in the modern world. It was extremely disappointing when I realized this. I didn't join the military but I was hoping I would experience that brotherhood with college roommates, church friends, work friends, etc and I was shocked at how unwilling most men were to engage in it. There's very much that sad stigma that any closeness between men is seen as "gay".

True friendship still exists!! I am so blessed to have a best friend who is always there for me, no matter what.

The first step is being the kind of friend you want to have - it will come to you one day ❤

Friendship can't be Reliably monetized so it's rarely encouraged by businesses.
Friendships can break apart systems of control, so its often attacked by factions that want to "lead" society.

So often it falls on us to personally find and make friends.
And rather than doing that, I'm typing a comment that will rarely be seen and will never be read by someone I meet face to face.

This affects friendships between men and women too. I believe it is 100% for such friendships to exist without any extra nonsense added, yet American society has taught us that it is not possible because clearly one or both parties will eventually want to get together.

From what i can observe people either have a few strong friendships or no friendships.

The friendships in these stories have made me cry.

Those who see no love, only lust, have never accepted true love.

There is no self-control in lust, but TRUE love is built upon self-control, as one of its virtues. True love is a hand to the enemy, not a hand to the groin. I share an exhaustion with many others I've never met that friendship, brotherly love and fellowship are choked out in the face of pride itself; it is an all-consuming, selfish creed. It demands absolutely that anyone and anything standing hand-in-hand MUST be sexually intimate. It demands ANYTHING and seeks ANYTHING to strengthen its weak narrative.

And it's why someone who walks that path stubbornly will never understand what love truly is.