QuoteProject
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.
William Shakespeare
ShareWTF𝕏

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.

More from William Shakespeare

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
Love bears it out even to the edge of doom.
William ShakespeareRead
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
William ShakespeareRead
Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
William ShakespeareRead
Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
William ShakespeareRead
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
William ShakespeareRead

Similar quotes

Friendship is like love at its best; not blind but sympathetically all-seeing; a support which does not wait for understanding; an act of faith which does not need, but always has, reason.
Louis UntermeyerRead
A hunted man sometimes wearies of distrust and longs for friendship.
J. R. R. TolkienRead
Prosperity is full of friends.
EuripidesRead
To make a point of declaring friendship is to cheapen it. For men's emotions are very rarely put into words successfully.
Hunter S. ThompsonRead
Lean on me, when you're not strong and I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on.
Bill WithersRead
Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives.
Harper LeeRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.