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Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself.
Confucius
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Choose friends who lift you up and inspire you to be better.

This quote by Confucius emphasizes the importance of surrounding ourselves with friends who have positive qualities that we aspire to. It suggests that friendship should be a source of growth, where the people we choose to associate with encourage and challenge us to improve ourselves.

Themes

FriendshipGrowthInspirationSelf-Improvement

In practice

Example use cases

During a motivational speech on personal development, one might quote Confucius to emphasize the importance of choosing the right friends.

More from Confucius

Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.
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Earnest in practicing the ordinary virtues, and careful in speaking about them, if, in his practice, he has anything defective, the superior man dares not but exert himself; and if, in his words, he has any excess, he dares not allow himself such license.
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When you see a good person, think of becoming like her/him. When you see someone not so good, reflect on your own weak points.
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Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.
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The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability that he has.
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Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.
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