My friends have come to me unsought. The great God gave them to me. By oldest right, by the divine affinity of virtue with itself, I find them, or rather not I, but the Deity in me and in them derides and cancels the thick walls of individual character, relation, age, sex, circumstance, at which he usually connives, and now makes many one.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Friendship comes from shared virtue and a higher connection.
- In plain terms
- Good friends feel connected by nature and virtue.
- What can you take from it?
- True friendship goes beyond superficial traits.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes a friend real?
Another view
Friendship can also form through shared interests.
More from Ralph Waldo Emerson
I do then with my friends as I do with my books. I would have them where I can find them, but I seldom use them.
Permalink to quote #125 In skating over thin ice our safety is in our speed.
Permalink to quote #127 The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one.
Permalink to quote #124
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