The ancient Greek philosopher and polymath Aristotle wrote on a wide variety of weighty subjects, including philosophy, science, politics, and the arts. He also found time to discuss the merits of friendship, something Aristotle valued highly. As he wrote in “Nicomachean Ethics,” a work in which he examines the question of how best to live, “Without friends no one would choose to live.” In the same work, he also offers the above definition of a best friend. Aristotle considered a genuine friendship to be selfless in its nature and a best friend to be someone who always finds joy in the other person’s happiness and well-being, rather than any personal gain.