But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine.
Interpretation
Friendship is invaluable during both good and bad times in life.
In this quote, Thomas Jefferson emphasizes the importance of friendship as a vital component of life, suggesting that true friends are invaluable not only during difficult times ('the shade') but also during joyous times ('the sunshine'). He acknowledges that the majority of life consists of positive experiences, highlighting that having supportive friends enhances those moments even more.
In practice
During a speech at a friend's wedding to express the value of having supportive friends.
The firmness with which the (American) people have withstood the... abuses of the press, the discernment they have manifested between truth and falsehood, show that they may safely be trusted to hear everything true and false and to form a correct judgment between them.
I, place economy among the first & most important republican virtues, & public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared
βWe must make our choice between economy and liberty or confusion and servitude...If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and comforts, in our labor and in our amusements...if we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy.
Very many and very meritorious were the worthy patriots who assisted in bringing back our government to its republican tack. To preserve it in that, will require unremitting vigilance.
A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.
Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.
They were gone and I missed them but even so I was very happy. For the rest of my life no matter where on this planet earth I went and no matter how scared or confused I got, I could wait until dark and look up into the night sky and see my three friends again and my heart would swell with love of them and make me strong and clearheaded.
Without a doubt, my richest relationships are my long-term friendships with musical partners, because we make music together. That's what we love to do with our lives.
Strangers are family you haven't recognize yet
Conversation with a friend will only bear good fruit of knowledge when both think only of the matter under consideration and forget that they are friends.
It's fun to meet people from throughout the world who you don't have to explain yourself to.
And much more am I sorrier for my good knights' loss than for the loss of my fair queen; for queens I might have enough, but such a fellowship of good knights shall never be together in no company.
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