Why The Fingers of Your Hand Exceed Your Friendships

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” says an African proverb. Individual mode is a default setting for many people who find no joy in teamwork. And for people on this mode—besides their blood relatives who form a natural sense of family belonging—have no meaningful friendships beyond the five fingers of their hand.

But we have found ways of growing friendships by their hundreds if not thousands. By creating a common denominator that binds many people of different configurations, we are able to manufacture camaraderie. Take the case of a recent Rotary club installation of an incoming chapter president. The membership depicts a rich mix of gender, cultures, age groups, creeds and careers. The ease with which the members of this chapter mingled confirmed a fellowship that made members have more than five dependable friends.

Associations of all kinds have made it possible to exit solo mode and join forces with others to a point where such groupings become family and permanent frameworks to socialise.

As it was said—man is no island unto himself—so he should find ways of growing his network for it is his net worth as well that benefits in the process.

Your hand will be that constant reminder that when the fingers are outnumbered by genuine friendships then one ought to consider himself lucky. We have friendships conditioned upon one's fortunes.

This is where many people feel safe around a wealthy guy simply because he cannot seek your help. And any favours sought are rewarded with greater favours. So, the five fingers rule outside of stable corporate associations is a steep climb to attain for the solo mover. WhatsApp groups on their own are not enough to generate the filial bonds and fall short of strong groupings such as those around defined clubs.

The five fingers reminder comes in handy when misfortune visits someone who was otherwise quite financially stable. Busy humans and lazy ones alike are fickle. Just one word that someone is in deep trouble causes everyone else to avoid them.

One time, word went around that a rich guy was to be auctioned. Many associates searched for the auctioneer in advance to pre-bid for the jewels in the crown. Everyone avoided the man and initially, he never understood why.

But when it became clear that the man under distress was a namesake of this man, the embarrassed friends resurfaced from the woods but it was too late in the day for the wealthy guy to keep them as friends.

Why would we constantly covet our friend's fortunes and wish him bad luck just so that we can gain at his expense? Many people around you, at some point of your life, will fall off your top five list due to inbuilt jealousies.

Just be sure that your associates are neither marinating you for thanksgiving nor are you cutting them behind their backs. But if the worst came to the worst, keep your five fingers intact.