None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
A friend is one who incessantly pays us the compliment of expecting from us all the virtues, and who can appreciate them in us. The friend asks no return but that his friend will religiously accept and wear and not disgrace his apotheosis of him. They cherish each other's hopes. They are kind to each other's dreams.
Interpretation
True friends expect the best from each other and value each other's aspirations without seeking anything in return.
In this quote, Thoreau emphasizes the nature of genuine friendship, where friends uplift and inspire each other by recognizing and nurturing the virtues present in one another. This mutual appreciation creates a bond where each friend cherishes the other's dreams and hopes, fostering a supportive environment that transcends mere companionship.
In practice
During a toast at a wedding to celebrate the bonds of friendship.
None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Through want of enterprise and faith men are where they are, buying and selling and spending their lives like servants.
An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
Have no mean hours, but be grateful for every hour, and accept what it brings. The reality will make any sincere record respectable.
As every season seems best to us in its turn, so the coming in of spring is like the creation of Cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the Golden Age.
That grand old poem called Winter
Meeting Franklin Roosevelt was like opening your first bottle of champagne; knowing him was like drinking it.
Real friendship is shown in times of trouble; prosperity is full of friends.
Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs,β sighed George, patting the heading of the map. βWe owe them so much.β βNoble men, working tirelessly to help a new generation of law-breakers,β said Fred solemnly.
It is one of the major tragedies that nothing is more discomforting than the hearty affection of the Old Friends who never were friends.
The shifts of fortune test the reliability of friends.
There's nothing cooler than going to work and hanging around with your friends and laughing, because it's something that you get told off for throughout your entire time at school... it's just like a big 'in your face' to those bully teachers that you had when you were a kid.
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