قسمت چهارم) سن و سال دوستان

Yes, I would say that the majority of my friends are, indeed, about as old as I am.

However, I must add the small qualification that the word “age” in this context does not strictly reflect the exact number of years since one’s birth. It hints at a broader concept; something like ‘generation.’

You see, the crowd that you eventually get in with is likely to be made up of people who are as many as five or six years younger or older than you are. And this makes perfect sense because these are the people with whom you share most of your experiences.

You have seen the same kinds of political and social change, you have observed very similar technological and and economic developments in your time – for better or for worse. You have received very similar types of education and you have worked in the same market.

Of course, personally, I try to maintain a few special relationships beyond my generation, which is with people who are much older or much younger than I am; because having that contact with older people could broaden my perspective and help me learn about the past and understand history better.

And dealing with young people can also help me see the world from or through a fresh pair of eyes .