Let me tell you I am better acquainted with you for a long absence, as men are with themselves for a long affliction: absence does but hold off a friend, to make one see him the truer.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Absence clarifies a friend's true nature, just as suffering clarifies self-knowledge.
- In plain terms
- Being apart helps you see a friend more clearly.
- What can you take from it?
- Time apart reveals the truth about relationships.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Has distance changed how you see a friend?
- What did absence teach you about yourself?
Another view
Absence can also weaken bonds rather than clarify them.
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In our leisure we reveal what kind of people we are.
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