Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Friendship is nothing else than entire fellow feeling as to all things human and divine with mutual good-will and affection; and I doubt whether anything better than this, wisdom alone excepted, has been given to man.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Friendship is the deep connection of shared emotions and goodwill towards each other.
This quote by Cicero emphasizes that true friendship encompasses a profound understanding and mutual affection between individuals, transcending both human experiences and spiritual connections. It suggests that the essence of friendship is rooted in a shared empathy and the goodwill we offer one another, making it one of the highest gifts, second only to wisdom.
Themes
FriendshipGoodwillAffectionEmpathyConnection
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the value of relationships, one could quote Cicero to emphasize the importance of empathy among friends.
More from Marcus Tullius Cicero
All quotes →Those wars are unjust which are undertaken without provocation. For only a war waged for revenge or defence can actually be just.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Nothing contributes to the entertainment of the reader more, than the change of times and the vicissitudes of fortune.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
No one has the right to be sorry for himself for a misfortune that strikes everyone.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Advice in old age is foolish; for what can be more absurd than to increase our provisions for the road the nearer we approach to our journey's end.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Similar quotes
From quiet homes and first beginning, out to the undiscovered ends, there's nothing worth the wear of winning, but laughter and the love of friends.
Hilaire BellocRead
Be sure to put the knocker fairly low on your door in case a very small friend drops by.
A. A. MilneRead
Go up close to your friend, but do not go over to him! We should also respect the enemy in our friend.
Friedrich NietzscheRead
If you wish to win a man over to your ideas, first make him your friend.
Abraham LincolnRead
I never meant to write about the experience of losing a good friend to breast cancer when I was going through it. But after it was over, I realized that although something deeply sad had happened, something truly beautiful also had.
Elizabeth BergRead
As long as you are lucky, you will have many friends; if cloudy times appear, you will be alone. -Donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos; tempora si fuerint nubila, solus eris
OvidRead