Let us be very strange and well-bred: Let us be as strange as if we had been married a great while; And as well-bred as if we were not married at all.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- It advises couples to act comfortably strange together yet maintain polite distance in public.
- In plain terms
- Act comfortable with your partner like old friends, but polite like strangers.
- What can you take from it?
- Balance intimacy with social etiquette in marriage.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How much distance is healthy in love?
- Can manners coexist with intimacy?
Another view
It suggests maintaining a degree of artificiality in relationships.
More from William Congreve
I nauseate walking; 'tis a country diversion, I loathe the country.
Permalink to quote #28 Thou art a retailer of phrases, and dost deal in remnants of remnants.
Permalink to quote #30 If there's delight in love, 'tis when I see That heart which others bleed for, bleed for me.
Permalink to quote #27
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