Gentleness is the antidote for cruelty.
PhaedrusRead
Strangers he gulls, but friends make fun of him.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True friends will often tease or challenge each other, unlike superficial acquaintances.
This quote highlights the difference between friends and strangers, suggesting that while strangers may be deceived easily, true friends have a more intimate and honest relationship that allows for playful teasing. It underscores the idea that genuine friendships involve a deeper level of understanding and interaction, where humor can be a sign of closeness rather than malice.
Themes
FriendsTeasingHonestyRelationshipsFriendship
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about the importance of friendship, this quote could be used to emphasize the value of trust and humor among close friends.
More from Phaedrus
All quotes βIn a change of masters the poor change nothing except their master's name.
PhaedrusRead
Everyone is bound to bear patiently the results of his own example.
PhaedrusRead
Everyone ought to bear patiently the results of his own conduct.
PhaedrusRead
It is the part of a fool to give advice to others and not himself to be on his guard.
PhaedrusRead
Similar quotes
This group had a kind of dark glamour within the castle. They were a motley collection; a mixture of the weak seeking protection, the ambitious seeking some shared glory, and the thuggish gravitating toward a leader who could show them more refined forms of cruelty.
J. K. RowlingRead
We are all good friends. Friendship is what endures. Shared ideals, respect for the whole character of a human being.
E. L. DoctorowRead
Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods.
AristotleRead
She laughed when there was no joke. She danced when there was no music. She had no friends, yet she was the friendliest person in school.
Jerry SpinelliRead
That's the problem with winning right from the start, thought Ender. you lose friends.
Orson Scott CardRead
The longer we live the more we think and the higher the value we put on friendship and tenderness towards parents and friends.
Samuel JohnsonRead