Friendship Quotes
In friendship, as in love, we are often happier through our ignorance than our knowledge.
"In friendship, as in love, we are often happier through our ignorance than our knowledge."— William Shakespeare
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Meaning of this quote
Knowing every uncomfortable detail about another person can disturb an otherwise contented relationship. The maxim observes a tension between comfort and knowledge; it does not make deception a sound basis for friendship.
Key takeaway:
Distinguish comforting assumptions from what you actually know.
Origin of the quote
A close English rendering of Francois de La Rochefoucauld's Maxims, number 441, rather than an identified Shakespeare passage.
Who actually said this?
Likely misattributedThe underlying sentence is present in La Rochefoucauld's collected maxims. No Shakespeare play, poem, or documented remark was established. English translations differ in phrasing.
