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Hunger knows no friend but its feeder.
Aristophanes
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote suggests that hunger or need is a powerful force that can override relationships and loyalty.

In this quote, Aristophanes highlights the idea that when it comes to fulfilling deep-seated needs such as hunger, social bonds and friendships become secondary. It suggests that in times of desperate need, individuals are often compelled to seek help from whoever can provide it, regardless of their previous relationships or affiliations. This speaks to the primal instincts that drive human behavior, emphasizing how fundamental needs can dictate actions and priorities.

Themes

HungerNeedFriendshipPrioritiesRelationships

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech addressing poverty, one might say, 'As Aristophanes observed, hunger knows no friend but its feeder.'

More from Aristophanes

Shrines! Shrines! Surely you don't believe in the gods. What's your argument? Where's your proof?
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[Y]ou [man] are fool enough, it seems, to dare to war with [woman=] me, when for your faithful ally you might win me easily.
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Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.
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Open your mouth and shut your eyes and see what Zeus will send you.
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When men drink, then they are rich and successful and win lawsuits and are happy and help their friends. Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.
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These impossible women! How they do get around us! The poet was right: Can't live with them, or without them.
AristophanesRead

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