The Perks and Loss of Being a “Man-Flea”

After reading the title, you are probably wondering what a “man-flea” is. A
“Man-flea” is someone who jumps through social groups constantly. They are the
kind of people who usually tag along with group “A” today, and with group “B”
the next day. We may have encountered some “Man-fleas” in our lives, me might
see them as “the friendly guy”, or as “The KEPO (Knowing Every Particular Object)
guy”. So, based on these controversial mindsets, is being a “Man-flea” considered
beneficial, or harmful?
It is common knowledge, that everyone should make as many friend as
possible. There are lots of benefits that we can gain from having a great range of
connection. We could become the most popular guy or girl that everyone adores,
or meet the guy/girl of our dreams. But these benefits are not only confined to
social fames. Making friends might also be the key of success. See, Edho Zell, a
youtuber, gain his popularity by having a lot of friend. He was homeless before he
became a successful youtuber. But, by benefitting from his friends, he can borrow
a camera to shoot his videos, ask for promoting his videos, and even getting
emotional supports. Having a lot of friends will also relieve us from stress and
pressure. An article from “telegraph.co.uk” stated “having lots of friends is a
better painkiller than morphine”. So, simply social interactions trigger endorphins
(our body’s natural pain killer) in our body to produce. To prove this theory,
researchers from the University's Department of Experimental Psychology
conducted an experiment, where 101 adults aged between 18 and 34 were
questioned on a number of aspects of their lives and also received a non-invasive,
physical pain test. This involved the participants squatting against a wall with
knees at a 90-degree angle with a straight back for as long as possible. They found
that people with larger social networks have a higher pain tolerance.
But despite the benefits of becoming a “man-flea”, there are some
downsides too. First of all, “Man-fleas” might probably have lots of friends, but
enemies as well. This happens because social groups can be divided into two by
acceptance. Inclusive group which is open for everybody, and exclusive group
which is not. If by chance a “man-flea” come to an exclusive group, it may label
him/her as KEPO. The worst thing is, when a “man-flea” is asked to side between
two groups, because whichever group the “man-flea” chooses will cost him/her
some friends. Secondly, a “man-flea” might not have an inner circle of people
whom he/she can really trust. Usually, a “man-flea” hangs with everybody and is
not siding to one particular group, that’s why he/she might see all groups as
equals, and because he/she did not really stick to one group, he/she will only stay
as acquaintance. Lastly, a “man-flea” might feel lonely on the inside. Because
he/she only stayed acquaintance to everyone, he/she might not have a “family”
to critique every opinion that he/she has.
A “man-flea” will have lots of connections, friends, and probably more
mentally stable. He/she might even see problems in the bigger picture as he/she
have more social experience than others, but a “man-flea” may have people that
despise him, or might even feel lonely on the inside. In conclusion, having great
assets such as connections or friends will always have consequences such as
enemies or inner conflicts. It is up to us to choose whether we are willing to take
the risk or not.