#Genuine Friendship

Friendship Beyond Echoes and Easy Agreement

The shadow image is intentionally humiliating: a shadow follows without understanding, loyalty without choice, and agreement without risk. Plutarch implies that constant concurrence is not proof of closeness; it may be proof of emptiness. From there, the line naturally points toward the ancient concern with flatterers, a theme Plutarch treats directly in his essay “How to Tell a Flatterer from a Friend” (in the Moralia). A flatterer survives by pleasing, whereas a friend endures by caring—sometimes uncomfortably. [...]

The Friendship of a Gentleman and a Petty Person

Water, though not sweet, is essential for life and sustains long-term well-being, much like a genuine friendship. Wine might provide short-term pleasure but not lasting sustenance, similar to a superficial friendship. [...]