"Famer's debate tourney, Skepsikyma VS Buddamoose Round#1"

And thank you to those who read this debate for taking their time out to judge it. In this round I will argue for why it is better to have friends and no money, rather than money and no friends. I'll do so by arguing from multiple points, these points being: - Physical Health - Mental Health - Lack of necessity of money in friendships - Feasibleness of lving without money P1: Physical(physiological) Health For most, the knowledge that lack of friendships, and close social interaction having negative effects upon a persons mental well-being, is rather common. But what most dont know, is the lack of friendships has a negative impact upon a persons physical health as well. For example, "A 10-year Australian study found that older people with a large circle of friends were 22 percent less likely to die during the study period than those with fewer friends. [1]" Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina(Greensboro), Rebecca G. Adams, even writes, " "There is just scads of stuff on families and marriage, but very little on friendship. It baffles me. Friendship has a bigger impact on our psychological well-being than family relationships. [1]" And it has a profound impact upon physiological well-being as well. From the previously mentioned study, to others. Such as a study of 3,000 nurses diagnosed with breast cancer, in which it was found that those with no close friends, were 4 times likelier to die from the disease, then those with 10 or more friends. Strangely enough, the amount of time a person spend with those friends, and how close they were distance-wise to one another, didnt have any impact whatsoever on the likelihood of survival. Just the mere fact of having close friends, was enough to increase the chance of survival. [1] Friendships also have been shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks, and fatal coronary heart disease. As well as reducing a persons risk of even contracting something as simple as the common cold[1]. So we see, evidence in studies is rife with proof that friendships are largely important in maintaining ones physical health. Which is quite important indeed. P2: Mental(psychological) health For most this is obvious enough. Building and maintaining close friendships is a boon to ones mental well-being. Having close friendships allows one to: "- Increase their sense of belonging and purpose - Boost their happiness - Reduce stress - Improve their sense of self-worth - Help one cope with traumas, such as divorce, serious illness, job loss or the death of a loved one -Encourage one to change or avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking or lack of exercise[2]" Indeed with no friends it is quite the obviou conclusion to draw that a person would develop a mental condition known as "loneliness. " Loneliness does not mecessarily mean that a person need be alone, but rather it is a state of mind in which a person feels alone or isolated. One can be surrounded by plenty of people, but without close friends or relationships to form bonds with, a person quickly develops the condition. This condition has severe negative impacts upon a person, those impacts include increased risk of: " -Depression and Suicide - Increased stress levels - Decreased memory and learning - Antisocial behavior - Poor decision-making - Alcoholism and drug abuse - The progression of Alzheimer's disease - Altered brain function[3]" As one can see, lack of friends is shown to be a cause in a wide variety of mental issues, that have long-reaching impacts upon a persons life. And what good would money with no friends be, if one is having to deal with the multitude of health and mental problems such a lifestyle entails? P3: Lack of necessity in money in friendships Now instead of scientific studies, or sources for this section. I'll mainly be speaking from experience. As someone who has had a wide variety of friendships in life, that a commonly misheld belief by a large number of people is that friendships require at least some minimal amount of money to thrive. This is entirely untrue. There are plenty of things two friends can do that require not a single cent, and indeed, the most vital aspect of any friendship requires no money at all. What is that aspect? Communication of course! Friendships develop, in my humble opinion, when two people communicate enough to where not only do they have a reasonable knowledge of the other person, and their personality and tendencies, but to where they come to trust that person, and deeply respect their opinion, and cherish the time they spend together. True and lasting friendships, arent built upon money, or activities, but rather, upon open communication and trust in one another. Money plays little into whether or not two people will be friends, and if it does, its not really a true friendship at all! P4: The feasibleness of living with no money One could easily claim that living with no money is impossible, or unfeasible. It really isnt, and there are plenty of people who do so even today. A great example is Daniel Suelo, of Moab, Utah. Since the Autumn of 2000, Suelo had lived a life without any money at all. He still has friends, he still survives, and is immensely happy and fulfilled doing so. Sure, his life is hard, but even with money, life is difficult. [4] Another example, and this one shows that even families can do so and be happy with their decision, is the Fellmer family of Berlin, Germany. Who survive, and thrive, without the use of currency. How do they survive? By doing jobs in exchange for shelter, food etc. indeed, bartering does play a large part in their lifestyle, but so do activities like, for lack of a better term, dumpster diving. The things that people throw out, are in alot of cases, still usable, still edible, still able to be bartered with. [5] And just from this alone, we see that even living without money, it is possible to raise a family, and maintain friendships. Another example is Heidemarie Schwermer, who has lived without money for almost two decades! Schwermer does say that friends at times become frustrated by her transient lifestyle, but the beauty of it is, that for those who no longer want to remain friends, there are those who are more than happy to remain friends. [6] There are many other examples of people, families, that live without the use of money, but just from these examples alone, one can see it is not only feasible. But on too of that possible to grow and maintain friendships, and even families while living this type of lifestyle. Not only that, but one can also see from my arguments, that a lack of close friendships is a contributing factor to many health and mental problems, and even lessens the lifespan of an individual. Thank you all for reading this, and I look forward to my peers round 3. In which we will address each others arguments, and attempt to refute/rebut them. ----------------- SOURCES 1) . http://www.nytimes.com... 2) . http://www.mayoclinic.com... 3) . http://psychology.about.com... 4) . http://www.details.com... 5) . http://shine.yahoo.com... 6) . http://www.businessinsider.com...