We are slow to believe that which if believed would hurt our feelings.
OvidRead
As long as you are lucky, you will have many friends; if cloudy times appear, you will be alone. -Donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos; tempora si fuerint nubila, solus eris
Interpretation
True friends are revealed during difficult times, not just during fortunate moments.
This quote by Ovid emphasizes that friendships often flourish in times of luck and prosperity, but real connections are tested in challenging situations. When fortune fades and difficulties arise, those who truly care will stand by you, revealing the genuine nature of your relationships.
In practice
This quote can be used during a speech about the nature of true friendships.
We are slow to believe that which if believed would hurt our feelings.
All things human hang by a slender thread; and that which seemed to stand strong suddenly falls and sinks in ruins.
A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a quip and worried to death by a frown on the right man's brow.
Fas est ab hoste doceri._x000D_ One should learn even from one's enemies.
Be patient and tough; someday this pain will be useful to you.
The end doesn't justify the means.
If a friend asks a favor, you should grant it if it is reasonable; if not, tell him plainly why you cannot: You will wrong him and wrong yourself by equivocation of any kind.
If thy friends be of better quality than thyself, thou mayest be sure of two things; first, they will be more careful to keep thy counsel, because they have more to lose than thou hast; the second, they will esteem thee for thyself, and not for that which thou dost possess.
Friendships born on the field of athletic strife are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust.
I pass by people, grazing them on the edges, and it bothers me. I've got to admire someone to really like them deeply - to value them as friends.
What I do requires fantastic concentration... but you can't be totally alone, or you lose all contact with reality, so even when I'm engrossed and secluded, Jack Dunphy can be there. He's my oldest and best friend, and best critic too.
Just remember, some come, some go. The ones that stay with you through everything - they're your true best friends. Don't let go of them.
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