I always do the first line well, but I have trouble doing the others.
MoliereRead
I want to be distinguished from the rest; to tell the truth, a friend to all mankind is not a friend for me.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True friendship is exclusive and requires deeper connections rather than being overly accommodating to everyone.
In this quote, Moliere expresses the belief that being loved or accepted by everyone may dilute the authenticity of friendship. He values deeper, more meaningful relationships with a select few over a superficial bond with the masses, suggesting that true friendship requires intimacy and distinction from the crowd.
Themes
FriendshipTruthAuthenticityConnectionsDistinction
In practice
Example use cases
During a toast at a wedding, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of meaningful friendships.
More from Moliere
All quotes →Beauty without intelligence is like a hook without bait.
MoliereRead
Betrayed and wronged in everything, I’ll flee this bitter world where vice is king, And seek some spot unpeopled and apart Where I’ll be free to have an honest heart. - Molière, The Misanthrope
MoliereRead
Long is the road from conception to completion.
MoliereRead
Oh, I may be devout, but I am human all the same.
MoliereRead
Hypocrisy is a fashionable vice, and all fashionable vices pass for virtue.
MoliereRead
Similar quotes
To clink glasses of a freshly made, seasonal beer, preferably in a pub or garden, with friends and perhaps new acquaintances, is a ritual that makes every participant feel good. We may not rationalize this at the time, but it gives us a sense of place in our common community and our time in the tides of life on earth. This is a way to value beer and treat it with respect.
Michael JacksonRead
We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink.
EpicurusRead
I maintain that, if everyone knew what others said about him, there would not be four friends in the world.
Blaise PascalRead
Between friends there is no need of justice.
AristotleRead
Go up close to your friend, but do not go over to him! We should also respect the enemy in our friend.
Friedrich NietzscheRead
Conversation with a friend will only bear good fruit of knowledge when both think only of the matter under consideration and forget that they are friends.
Friedrich NietzscheRead