Taught from infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison.
Mary WollstonecraftRead
Friendship is a serious affection; the most sublime of all affections, because it is founded on principle, and cemented by time.
Interpretation
Friendship is a deep and lasting bond built on shared values and experiences.
Mary Wollstonecraft emphasizes that true friendship transcends mere companionship; it is a profound connection that is rooted in shared principles and nurtured over time. This suggests that the strongest friendships are those that are not only emotional but also wise and intentional, ultimately leading to a more meaningful and enduring relationship.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of relationships, one might quote this to emphasize the depth of true friendship.
Taught from infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison.
Make women rational creatures, and free citizens, and they will quickly become good wives; - that is, if men do not neglect the duties of husbands and fathers.
But what a weak barrier is truth when it stands in the way of an hypothesis!
The divine right of husbands, like the divine right of kings, may, it is hoped, in this enlightened age, be contested without danger.
Women are degraded by the propensity to enjoy the present moment, and, at last, despise the freedom which they have not sufficient virtue to struggle to attain.
Perhaps the seeds of false-refinement, immorality, and vanity, have ever been shed by the great. Weak, artificial beings, raised above the common wants and defections of their race, in a premature and unnatural manner, undermine the very foundation of virtue, and spread corruption through the whole mass of society!
There are no words to express the abyss between isolation and having one ally. It may be conceded to the mathematician that four is twice two. But two is not twice one; two is two thousand times one.
I do not want a friend who smiles when I smile, who weeps when I weep; for my shadow in the pool can do better than that.
Friendships begin with liking or gratitude- roots that can be pulled up.
The longer we live the more we think and the higher the value we put on friendship and tenderness towards parents and friends.
When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun.'
Whatever will happen will happen, but choose your companions with care. Choose them because you like to look at them and you like the sound of their voices, and they have profound secrets in them that you wish to know. In other words, choose them because you love them. Otherwise you will not be able to bear their company for very long.
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