Solved Exercise for Precis writing with Title “The Importance of Friendship” Precis for Class 9, 10, 11, 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Passages with Solved Precis

The great Roman orator, Cicero, in his celebrated treatise on friendship, remarks with truth that it increases happiness and diminishes misery by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our sorrows. When we do well, it is delightful to have friends who are so proud of our success that they receive as much pleasure from it as we do ourselves. For the friendless man, the attainment of wealth, power and honour is of little value. Such possessions contribute to our happiness most by enabling us to do well to others, but if all those whom we are able to benefit are strangers we take far less pleasure in our beneficence than if it were exerted on behalf of our friends whose happiness is as dear to us as our own. Further when we do our duty in sped of temptation, the merit satisfaction obtained from approval of our conscience is heightened by the praise of our friends; for their judgement is, as it were a second conscience encouraging us in good and deterring us from evil. Our amusements have little zest and soon fall upon us if we engage in them in solitude, or with uncongenial companions, for whom we can feel no more affection. Thus, in every case our joys are rendered more intense and permanent by being shared with friends.

It is equally true, that, as Cicero points out friendship diminishes our misery by enabling us to share the “burden of it with others, when misfortune has inflicted a heavy unavoidable blow on us, our grief is alleviated by friendly condolence and by the thought that as long as our friends are left to us, life is still worth living.

But, many misfortunes which threaten us are not inevitable and in escaping such misfortunes, the and active assistance of our friends may be invaluable. The friendless man stands alone, exposed without protection to his enemies and to the blows of misfortune: but whoever has loyal friends is thereby provided with a strong defence against the worst that fortune can do to him.

Precis

The Importance of Friendship

Friendship multiplies one’s joys and reduces one’s anxieties. One feels quite happy, when one’s friend feels proud of one’s success. Whatever be the pleasures of achieving power and honour, they are best enjoyed with one’s friends. Friend’s approval, advice and conduct serve as second conscience to provide encouragement to do good work and save one from evil-doings. Even in merry-making one cannot feel quite happy without the affectionate company around. Thus, a good friend reduces afflictions and makes our life worth-living. On the other hand, a friendless man finds himself in isolation to bear misfortunes and to muse in loneliness.