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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