How is it possible to expect that mankind will take advice when they will not so much as take warning.
Jonathan SwiftRead
What vexes me most is, that my female friends, who could bear me very well a dozen years ago, have now forsaken me, although I am not so old in proportion to them as I formerly was: which I can prove by arithmetic, for then I was double their age, which now I am not. Letter to Alexander Pope. 7 Feb. 1736.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The speaker laments the loss of friendships with women who once valued their companionship, questioning why this has changed over time.
In this quote, Jonathan Swift reflects on the nature of friendships and how they can change as people age. He notes with irony that despite the passage of time, he feels he is not as old in relation to his female friends as he once was, suggesting that societal perceptions of age and worth in friendships can shift, leading to feelings of abandonment and confusion.
Themes
FriendshipLossAgeChangePerception
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared in a discussion about the evolution of friendships over time.
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I'm as old as my tongue and a little older than my teeth.
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When we desire or solicit anything, our minds run wholly on the good side or circumstances of it; when it is obtained, our minds run wholly on the bad ones.
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