Character and Conduct – 22 August – Friendship

THE most fatal disease of friendship is gradual decay or dislike, hourly increased by causes too slender for complaint and too numerous for removal.   Those who are angry may be reconciled, those who have been injured may receive a recompense;  but when the desire of pleasing, and willingness to be pleased, is silently diminished, the renovation of friendship is hopeless:  as when the vital powers sink into languor, there is no longer any use for the physician.

The Idler

…THERE is such a disaster, so to speak, as having to break off friendship…   In such cases friendships should be allowed to die out gradually by an intermission of intercourse.   They should, as I have been told that Cato used to say, rather be unstitched than torn in twain…   For there can be nothing more discreditable than to be at open war with a man with whom you have been intimate…   Our first object then should be to prevent a breach;  our second to secure that if it does occur, our friendship should seem to have died a natural rather than a violent death.

CICERO

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These quotes are from ‘Character and Conduct’ A selection of helpful thoughts from various authors arranged for daily reading.

Collected by Constance M Whishaw and first published in 1905 as a follow up to her volume of Daily Readings for members of the Being and Doing Guild who asked for an additional volume

In her preface Whishaw writes:

‘This collection of noble thoughts expressed by men and women of past and present ages who have endeavoured to leave the world a little better than they found it.’

It is my hope in publishing them here readers may be inspired to imitate the example of the authors.