He was one of those men who possess almost every gift, except the gift of the power to use them.
Charles KingsleyRead
A blessed thing it is to have a friend; one human soul whom we can trust utterly; who knows the best and worst of us, and who loves us in spite of all our faults; who will speak the honest truth to us, while the world flatters us to our face, and laughs at us behind our back; who will give us counsel and reproof in a day of prosperity and self-conceit; but who, again, will comfort and encourage us in days of difficulty and sorrow, when the world leaves us alone to fight our own battle as we can.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A true friend accepts us unconditionally and offers honest support through life's ups and downs.
This quote by Charles Kingsley expresses the profound value of true friendship. It highlights the rarity and blessing of having a friend who knows us deeply, embraces our imperfections, and provides unwavering support. Such a friend is not only a source of comfort during challenging times but also offers honest feedback to help us grow, contrasting with the superficiality often found in social interactions. In essence, the quote emphasizes that a genuine friendship enriches our lives and provides invaluable companionship amidst life's trials and tribulations.
Themes
FriendshipTrustSupportHonestyLoyalty
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of relationships, one might say, 'As Charles Kingsley reminds us, a true friend is a treasure.'
More from Charles Kingsley
All quotes →Beauty is God's handwriting — a wayside sacrament; welcome it in every fair face, every fair sky, every fair flower, and thank for it Him.
Charles KingsleyRead
Take comfort, and recollect however little you and I may know, God knows; He knows Himself and you and me and all things; and His mercy is over all His works.
Charles KingsleyRead
Being forced to work, and forced to do your best, will breed in you temperance and self-control, diligence and strength of will, cheerfulness and content, and a hundred virtues which the idle will never know.
Charles KingsleyRead
Do today's duty, fight to-day's temptation; and do not weaken and distract yourself by looking forward to things which you cannot see, and could not understand if you saw them.
Charles KingsleyRead
You must not talk about 'ain't and can't' when you speak of this great wonderful world round you, of which the wisest man knows only the very smallest corner, and is, as the great Sir Isaac Newton said, only a child picking up pebbles on the shore of a boundless ocean.
Charles KingsleyRead
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You that would judge me, do not judge alone this book or that, come to this hallowed place where my friends' portraits hang and look thereon; Ireland's history in their lineaments trace; think where man's glory most begins and ends and say my glory was I had such friends.
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Of all the means to insure happiness throughout the whole life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends.
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When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun.'
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