Friendship Using Metaphors

Quotes for the week:

"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed." - Carl Jung

“If you look for the best in people, you will find it. If you look for the worst in people, you will find it.” - based on a quote from Abraham Lincoln

Mini-Lesson Summary:

This week's mini-lesson involved building satisfying friendships. We processed this information through the eyes of two characters. Alex changed himself to fit in with others while Henry stopped trying to have friends because he felt so different.

We discussed why people are wired to desire friendship and genuine community, and as a result, both Henry and Alex's approaches wouldn't be sustainable. Students were prompted to ask, "What could these two people have done differently?"

Epic Metaphors for Discussion:

We processed how people who are gifted are like onions with many layers! Some layers are very vulnerable to share while other layers are surface-level and resemble small talk. Both are often necessary for relationships to thrive. 

We also used these metaphors to explore friendship:

- Wave Pools (start with small talk, then move to the deep end)

- Frogs (indicator species for toxic environments)

- Tropical Plants (need more nutrients/water than a desert environment can provide)

- Stoplight Colors (we touched on assessing friendships in terms of red, yellow, and green)

Can you think of any other metaphors?

Optional journal/discussion prompts this week:

1. Who or what are "red" people/topics for you? How do you know when you should stop investing in a relationship? How do you know when a topic is only meant for close friends?

2. Who or what are "yellow" people/topics for you? How do you know when a person is someone you should "go slowly" around? What would cause you to be cautious around someone? How do you move a friendship from yellow to red or yellow to green?

3. Who or what are "green" people/topics for you? How does a person act that would be a good friend?

4. Think of a recent friendship that went well and one that didn’t (might be the same person). When students who are highly gifted struggle to make friends, what could be some of the reasons?

5. Elaborate on this discussion in class: What are the pros and cons of having older friends?


Thanks and have a great week!