Phun-size Philosophy # 21 - Affiliation

Affiliation is defined by Google as having a social or business relationship and is usually in place to provide benefits to all sides involved in the given relationship. It can also apply to other aspects of life besides just social and business but those are the main two reasons we form relationships in the first place. Social as we all know, is probably the majority of why we have relationships to begin with. They are the basis for where our networks form and are usually for the sole reason of making our lives interesting. Social relationships help contribute to providing meaning in our lives because we usually enjoy company and friendships. Getting along with others allows you to accomplish so much more in life and share good times and memories as well. If social relationships are usually set up to provide emotional change in life, business relationships are usually set up in order to financially change your life hopefully for the better. It doesn't always have to be money either but also for an increase in resources too. If you start an affiliation with someone else it usually means that you get special privileges and can get certain deals that others would have no way of getting. You can get access to things that others wouldn’t be able to like if you have a special friendship you get access to their trust and from there so much more. If you have a business affiliation with Kleenex you could get a free lifetime supply of tissues. The thing with affiliations is that you become associated with their actions and they do to yours as well. This means that what they do will then affect and impact you and your life especially your identity. This means that you need to watch who you associate yourself with. You need to pay special attention to this because as your relationships gradually develop all sides involved gradually become more dependent on each other. Some time down the road they may not be able to function without the other which isn't always the best policy to hold because it can make life go downhill quickly once the relationship falls apart. In every single relationship there is some dependency among the parties involved because in some shape or form you will probably require or need something from the other sometime during your life. When it comes to parents, we rely on them to provide sustenance and a good upbringing which will lead the way for a successful life. Sometimes the relationships we form are one way where one side "wears the pants" and becomes dominant. This means that one may have more power and determines the direction of which the affiliation will go. There are also many other symbiotic relationships from which all biological creatures interact with each other. In human society an affiliation is set up in order to provide win-win situation known as mutualism. In order to do so you must pick carefully because there are always going to be those people that you meet who will negatively impact your life. It can also be hard to change the affiliations you’ve made in life like if you've joined a gang they probably won't let you leave easily and you will quickly make enemies with opposing sides. So just make sure you know exactly what you're getting into when you are about to become affiliated with others.

-Allan Nicholas