A companion loves some agreeable qualities which a man may possess, but a friend loves the man himself.
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.
Interpretation
Wine may boost self-confidence but can diminish social appeal.
This quote by James Boswell reflects on the idea that while wine can enhance a person's self-satisfaction, it does not necessarily improve their likability to others. Instead, it can unveil aspects of their personality that may have been suppressed out of social anxiety, highlighting the duality of alcohol's effects on one's self-image versus social interactions.
In practice
During a toast at a friend's wedding, you might include this quote to discuss the effects of wine on social gatherings.
A companion loves some agreeable qualities which a man may possess, but a friend loves the man himself.
There is nothing worth the wear of winning, but laughter and the love of friends.
He who has provoked the lash of wit, cannot complain that he smarts from it.
Friendship, "the wine of life," should, like a well-stocked cellar, be continually renewed.
The problem with people who are afraid of imagination, of fantasy, is that their world becomes so narrow that I don't see how they can imagine beyond what their senses can verify. We know from science that there are entire worlds that our senses can't verify.
It was interesting to think that the very first liquid ever poured on the Moon, and the first food eaten there, were communion elements.
Perhaps life is actually more confusing and unknowable to an adult than a child, but grown-ups have learned to deceive themselves and act as if they understand what's going on; and some are elected to high office on the basis of their ability to create this impression.
The Negro enslaved by his inferiority, the white man enslaved by his superiority alike behave in accordance with a neurotic orientation.
I feel very strongly that I’m surrounded by other realities.
If only everyone could know and live with their inner craziness. Would the world be a worse place for it? No, people would be fairer and happier.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.