--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Must we be strangers, you and I, because…" description: "\"“Must we be strangers, you and I, because there was a time in which we were almost more than friends?”\" — Anthony Trollope" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/anthony-trollope-611_friends_must-we-be-strangers-you-and-i-because-t_1722167.jpg" --- # Must we be strangers, you and I, because there was a time… ![“Must we be strangers, you and I, because there was a time in which we were almost more than friends?” quote by Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/anthony-trollope-611_friends_must-we-be-strangers-you-and-i-because-t_1722167.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/anthony-trollope-611_friends_must-we-be-strangers-you-and-i-because-t_1722167.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/anthony-trollope-611_friends_must-we-be-strangers-you-and-i-because-t_1722167.jpg) > ““Must we be strangers, you and I, because there was a time in which we were almost more than friends?”” [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker wonders why acquaintances become strangers after a period of closeness, questioning the fragility of relationships. **In simple terms:** Friendships can dissolve despite deep connections. Key Takeaway Nurture communication to avoid drifting apart. Themes friendship estrangement communication social bonds loneliness Mood melancholic contemplative Type novelistic reflective When to use this quote - family gatherings - workplace teams - online communities Key Concepts social dynamics interpersonal psychology temporal change Questions to Reflect On - When did a close bond fade and why? - What actions could preserve valued relationships? A Different Perspective Assuming all distance is negative ignores healthy boundaries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Strangers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strangers/) [Strangers Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strangers-time-1215168/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-friends-315388/) ## Related quotes > [“One more time we are strangers, but this time with memories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vraj-patel/one-more-time-we-are-strangers-but-this-time-with-memories/) [Vraj Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vraj-patel/) > [“Time is a killer,kills both, in sickness or in health. We are but strangers to time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-wapai/time-is-a-killer-kills-both-in-sickness-or-in-health-we-are-but/) [Victor Wapai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-wapai/) > [“Maybe people are strangers because time makes them strangers, not because you don't know them, and people you've never met are strangers because you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jourdan/maybe-people-are-strangers-because-time-makes-them-strangers-not/) [Phil Jourdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jourdan/) > [It's amazing when strangers become friends but it's so sad, when friends become strangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-amazing-when-strangers-become-friends-but-it-s-so-sad-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The Great Thing About long-time, all-time friends is, no matter how many hours (days, weeks, months, and, I assume, years) you spend in differnt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/the-great-thing-about-long-time-all-time-friends-is-no-matter-how/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [I'm spending my time making time for the friends who have always been there when I needed them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-spending-my-time-making-time-for-the-friends-who-have-always-been/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Through music we may wander where we will in time, and find friends in every century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/through-music-we-may-wander-where-we-will-in-time-and-find-friends-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To be friends is a beautiful thing, Tessa, and I do not scorn it, but I have hoped for a long time now that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/to-be-friends-is-a-beautiful-thing-tessa-and-i-do-not-scorn-it-but-i/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Me and Tupac were long-time friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/me-and-tupac-were-long-time-friends/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) > [Often we have no time for our friends but all the time in the world for our enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/often-we-have-no-time-for-our-friends-but-all-the-time-in-the-world/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) > [Golf is like 99.9 percent of my life, and then there's school. I don't get much time to go out with my friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-ko/golf-is-like-99-9-percent-of-my-life-and-then-there-s-school-i-don-t/) [Lydia Ko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-ko/) > [I've never had time for friends. I've always worked too hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalynn-carter/i-ve-never-had-time-for-friends-i-ve-always-worked-too-hard/) [Rosalynn Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalynn-carter/) > [You were always my girl but you're wasting time on him. I wish I could turn back the clocks to when you still had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-were-always-my-girl-but-you-re-wasting-time-on-him-i-wish-i-could/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [After working for hours, enjoying time with friends is very important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackky-bhagnani/after-working-for-hours-enjoying-time-with-friends-is-very-important/) [Jackky Bhagnani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackky-bhagnani/) > [I joke all the time with my friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabricio-werdum/i-joke-all-the-time-with-my-friends/) [Fabricio Werdum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabricio-werdum/) ## More by Anthony Trollope > [“I have from the first felt sure that the writer, when he sits down to commence his novel, should do so, not because he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/i-have-from-the-first-felt-sure-that-the-writer-when-he-sits-down-to/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [Things to be done offer themselves, I suppose, because they are in themselves desirable; not because it is desirable to have something to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/things-to-be-done-offer-themselves-i-suppose-because-they-are-in/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/a-small-daily-task-if-it-be-really-daily-will-beat-the-labours-of-a/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [You men find so many angels in your travels. You have been honester than some. You have generally been off with the old angel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/you-men-find-so-many-angels-in-your-travels-you-have-been-honester/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [The man who worships mere wealth is a snob.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/the-man-who-worships-mere-wealth-is-a-snob/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [To feel that your hours are filled to overflowing, that you can barely steal minutes enough for sleep, that the welfare of many is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/to-feel-that-your-hours-are-filled-to-overflowing-that-you-can-barely/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [It is necessary to get a lot of men together, for the show of the thing, otherwise the world will not believe. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/it-is-necessary-to-get-a-lot-of-men-together-for-the-show-of-the/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [“An accepted lover, who deserves to have been accepted, should devote every hour at his command to his mistress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/an-accepted-lover-who-deserves-to-have-been-accepted-should-devote/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [Wine is valued by its price, not its flavour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/wine-is-valued-by-its-price-not-its-flavour/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [“(On Charles Dickens) It has been the peculiarity and the marvel of this man’s power, that he has invested his puppets with a charm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/on-charles-dickens-it-has-been-the-peculiarity-and-the-marvel-of-this/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [There is no road to wealth so easy and respectable as that of matrimony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/there-is-no-road-to-wealth-so-easy-and-respectable-as-that-of/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [I hold that gentleman to be the best-dressed whose dress no one observes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/i-hold-that-gentleman-to-be-the-best-dressed-whose-dress-no-one/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [But mad people never die. That's a well-known fact. They've nothing to trouble them, and they live for ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/but-mad-people-never-die-that-s-a-well-known-fact-they-ve-nothing-to/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [Since woman's rights have come up a young woman is better able to fight her own battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/since-woman-s-rights-have-come-up-a-young-woman-is-better-able-to/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [“The heroes of life are so much better than the heroes of romance,” said Caroline.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/the-heroes-of-life-are-so-much-better-than-the-heroes-of-romance-said/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) [Explore all 448 Anthony Trollope quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) ## More Friends quotes > [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. It could just as easily have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/whatever-meaning-annie-s-song-had-for-me-on-a-personal-level-there/) [John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [Friends are like stars you can't always see them, but you know they're there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknwon/friends-are-like-stars-you-can-t-always-see-them-but-you-know-they-re/) [Unknwon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknwon/) > [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [“Light it up, bitch.' 'Light it up, asshole,' ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/light-it-up-bitch-light-it-up-asshole/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [In life, we never lose friends we only get to know who the true ones are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ace-kid/in-life-we-never-lose-friends-we-only-get-to-know-who-the-true-ones/) [Ace Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ace-kid/) > [I always bump into people that Ive met. Not great friends, but if I bump into somebody Ive known and I wont recognise them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-franchitti/i-always-bump-into-people-that-ive-met-not-great-friends-but-if-i/) [Dario Franchitti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-franchitti/) > [It's hard to be JUST FRIENDS with the ONE YOU LOVE when every time you look at that person, all you see is EVERYTHING…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-hard-to-be-just-friends-with-the-one-you-love-when-every-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [Family over friends, because real friends are family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/family-over-friends-because-real-friends-are-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [“Cops aren't really your friends, they are trying to be your friends but they are not… - They are searching evidence to PIN YOU.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deyth-banger/cops-aren-t-really-your-friends-they-are-trying-to-be-your-friends/) [Deyth Banger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deyth-banger/) > [“Don’t waste your time trying to explain yourself to people that are committed to misunderstanding you. Instead, commit your time to explaining who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-waste-your-time-trying-to-explain-yourself-to-people-that-are/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Back home I get to see my old friends!(: But they don't understand the change in me and I can't explain it to them...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/back-home-i-get-to-see-my-old-friends-but-they-don-t-understand-the/) [Jade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade/) [Browse all 13,428 Friends quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Must we be strangers, you and I, because there was a time in which we were almost more than friends?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anthony Trollope" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/must-we-be-strangers-you-and-i-because-there-was-a-time-in-which-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Friends" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/must-we-be-strangers-you-and-i-because-there-was-a-time-in-which-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/anthony-trollope-611_friends_must-we-be-strangers-you-and-i-because-t_1722167.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/anthony-trollope-611_friends_must-we-be-strangers-you-and-i-because-t_1722167.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/anthony-trollope-611_friends_must-we-be-strangers-you-and-i-because-t_1722167.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Must we be strangers, you and I, because there was a time in which we were almost more than friends?” — Anthony Trollope", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anthony Trollope", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Must we be strangers, you and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/must-we-be-strangers-you-and-i-because-there-was-a-time-in-which-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/must-we-be-strangers-you-and-i-because-there-was-a-time-in-which-we/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```