A companion loves some agreeable qualities which a man may possess, but a friend loves the man himself.
James BoswellRead
He who has provoked the lash of wit, cannot complain that he smarts from it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
If you challenge someone to a witty exchange, you should not be upset by the consequences.
This quote highlights the idea that engaging in clever banter or humorous repartee comes with risks; if you provoke someone to respond with wit, you must be prepared to endure the sharpness of their reply. It suggests a playful understanding of the nature of wit, emphasizing that those who enter into such exchanges should accept the potential repercussions that come from their own provocation.
Themes
WitHumorProvocationConsequencesBanter
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote at a comedy roast to emphasize that humor can be a double-edged sword.
More from James Boswell
All quotes βThere is nothing worth the wear of winning, but laughter and the love of friends.
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Friendship, "the wine of life," should, like a well-stocked cellar, be continually renewed.
James BoswellRead
Wine makes a man better pleased with himself. I do not say that it makes him more pleasing to others. Sometimes it does. But the danger is, that while a man grows better pleased with himself, he may be growing less pleasing to others. Wine gives a man nothing. It neither gives him knowledge nor wit; it only animates a man, and enables him to bring out what a dread of the company has presented.
James BoswellRead
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