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Single Idea 7916

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 4. External Goods / d. Friendship ]

Full Idea

Rare though true love may be, true friendship is rarer still.

Gist of Idea

True friendship is even rarer than true love

Source

La Rochefoucauld (Maxims [1663], 473)

Book Ref

Rochefoucauld,La: 'Maxims' [Penguin 1959], p.92


A Reaction

This seems to be true. Our culture doesn't encourage friendship as a high ideal. Are women better at friendship than men? Which culture, past or present, led to the greatest flourishing of friendship? Epicurus's Garden?


The 8 ideas from La Rochefoucauld

La Rochefoucauld's idea of disguised self-love implies an unconscious mind [Rochefoucauld, by Sartre]
Judging by effects, love looks more like hatred than friendship [Rochefoucauld]
Virtue doesn't go far without the support of vanity [Rochefoucauld]
To try to be wise all on one's own is folly [Rochefoucauld]
Supreme cleverness is knowledge of the real value of things [Rochefoucauld]
True friendship is even rarer than true love [Rochefoucauld]
We are bored by people to whom we ourselves are boring [Rochefoucauld]
Realising our future misery is a kind of happiness [Rochefoucauld]