As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel; But do not dull thy palm with entertainment Of each new-hatch'd, unfledg'd comrade.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Value and hold close to your true friends while being wary of new acquaintances.
This quote from Shakespeare emphasizes the importance of true friendship and loyalty. It suggests that while one should cherish and strengthen bonds with established friends, they must also be cautious and discerning about new relationships, as not every new acquaintance deserves your emotional investment.
Themes
FriendshipLoyaltyRelationshipsTrustCaution
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about the value of lifelong friendships.
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A true friend is the greatest of all blessings, and that which we take the least care of all to acquire.
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Friend of my bosom, thou more than a brother, Why wert thou not born in my father's dwelling?
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Insistence on truth can come into play when one party practices untruth or injustice. Only then can love be tested. True friendship is put to the test only when one party disregards the obligation of friendship.
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I don't know what I would do in the world without [female friends] for advice, for comfort, for simply knowing that there is someone out there who knows me as I am, and loves me despite and because of it.
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She laughed when there was no joke. She danced when there was no music. She had no friends, yet she was the friendliest person in school.
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Two of man's basic needs are to love and to share. Both of these needs are satisfied in greater or lesser degree by friendship.
Mother AngelicaRead