--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a perfect Friendship this Appreciative…" description: "\"“In a perfect Friendship this Appreciative love is, I think, often so great and so firmly based that each member of the circle feels, in his secret hea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/279/c-s-lewis-121_appreciative_in-a-perfect-friendship-this-appreciativ_2523914.jpg" --- # In a perfect Friendship this Appreciative love is, I… ![“In a perfect Friendship this Appreciative love is, I think, often so great and so firmly based that each member of the circle feels, in his secret heart, humbled before the rest. Sometimes he wonders what he is doing there among his betters. He is lucky beyond desert to be in such company…” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/279/c-s-lewis-121_appreciative_in-a-perfect-friendship-this-appreciativ_2523914.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/279/c-s-lewis-121_appreciative_in-a-perfect-friendship-this-appreciativ_2523914.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/279/c-s-lewis-121_appreciative_in-a-perfect-friendship-this-appreciativ_2523914.jpg) > ““In a perfect Friendship this Appreciative love is, I think, often so great and so firmly based that each member of the circle feels, in his secret heart, humbled before the rest. Sometimes he wonders what he is doing there among his betters. He is lucky beyond desert to be in such company. Especially when the whole group is together; each bringing out all that is best, wisest, or funniest in all the others. Those are the golden sessions; when four or five of us after a hard day's walk have come to our inn; when our slippers are on, our feet spread out toward the blaze and our drinks are at our elbows; when the whole world, and something beyond the world, opens itself to our minds as we talk; and no one has any claim on or any responsibility for another, but all are freemen and equals as if we had first met an hour ago, while at the same time an Affection mellowed by the years enfolds us. Life — natural life — has no better gift to give. Who could have deserved it?”” [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True friendship is a deep, humble appreciation that elevates each member, creating golden moments of shared wisdom and joy. **In simple terms:** Friendship is humble appreciation that lifts all. Key Takeaway Cultivate humility and shared joy. Themes friendship humility appreciation Mood nostalgic contemplative Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - dinners - group discussions - relaxing evenings Key Concepts mutual respect shared experiences Questions to Reflect On - What makes a friendship feel golden? - How can we maintain humility in close circles? A Different Perspective May idealize friendship unrealistically. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appreciative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciative/) [Appreciative Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciative-love-1278176/) [First met](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-met/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Friendship Appreciative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship-appreciative-1278177/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Natural life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-life/) [Perfect friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-friendship-142478/) [Whole world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-world/) ## Related quotes > [“Need-love cries to God from our poverty; Gift-love longs to serve, or even to suffer for, God; Appreciative love says: “We give thanks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/need-love-cries-to-god-from-our-poverty-gift-love-longs-to-serve-or-2/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [Need-love says of a woman, "I cannot live without her"; Gift-love longs to give her happiness, comfort, protection...appreciative love gazes and holds its breath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/need-love-says-of-a-woman-i-cannot-live-without-her-gift-love-longs/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I come alive when I look into my boyfriend's eyes, when I embrace him, when I hold his hand and I am completely present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syesha-mercado/i-come-alive-when-i-look-into-my-boyfriend-s-eyes-when-i-embrace-him/) [Syesha Mercado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syesha-mercado/) > [Appreciative love gazes and holds its breath and is silent, rejoices that such a wonder should exist even if not for him, will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cs-lewis/appreciative-love-gazes-and-holds-its-breath-and-is-silent-rejoices/) [CS Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cs-lewis/) > [Is it easy to love God' asks an old author. 'It is easy,' he replies, 'to those who do it.' I have included two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/is-it-easy-to-love-god-asks-an-old-author-it-is-easy-he-replies-to/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“Need-love cries to God from our poverty; Gift-love longs to serve, or even to suffer for, God; Appreciative love says: “We give thanks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/need-love-cries-to-god-from-our-poverty-gift-love-longs-to-serve-or/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“What I have called Appreciative love is no basic element in Affection. It usually needs absence or bereavement to set us praising those to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/what-i-have-called-appreciative-love-is-no-basic-element-in-affection/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [Perfect friendship is imperfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishreen-2/perfect-friendship-is-imperfect/) [Nishreen â¥](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishreen-2/) > [“Those were the two prerequisites, in my conception, to perfect friendship: capacity to worship and capacity to laugh. Modern life is not made for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/those-were-the-two-prerequisites-in-my-conception-to-perfect/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [We love everything on our own account; we even follow our own taste and inclination when we prefer our friends to ourselves; and yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-love-everything-on-our-own-account-we-even-follow-our-own-taste/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Perfect friendship puts us under the necessity of being virtuous. As it can only be preserved among estimable persons, it forces us to resemble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-therese-de-marguenat-de-courcelles/perfect-friendship-puts-us-under-the-necessity-of-being-virtuous-as/) [Anne-Therese de Marguenat de Courcelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-therese-de-marguenat-de-courcelles/) > [It's so ironic how best friends just slip and they become enemies so dang quick. One wrong phrase could cost 4 years, make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blondie/it-s-so-ironic-how-best-friends-just-slip-and-they-become-enemies-so/) [Blondie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blondie/) > [Friends never cheat on each other, or take advantage, or lie. Friends do not spy on one another, yet they have no secrets. Friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-ambrose/friends-never-cheat-on-each-other-or-take-advantage-or-lie-friends-do/) [Stephen Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-ambrose/) > [Charity, by which God and neighbor are loved, is the most perfect friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/charity-by-which-god-and-neighbor-are-loved-is-the-most-perfect/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [Perfect friendship is the friendship of men who are good, and alike in excellence; for these wish well alike to each other qua good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/perfect-friendship-is-the-friendship-of-men-who-are-good-and-alike-in/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) ## More by C.S. Lewis > [“At the moment, then, of Man’s victory over Nature, we find the whole human race subjected to some individual men, and those individuals subjected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/at-the-moment-then-of-man-s-victory-over-nature-we-find-the-whole/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Isn’t it absolutely essential to keep a fierce Left and a fierce Right, both on their toes and each terrified of the other?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/isn-t-it-absolutely-essential-to-keep-a-fierce-left-and-a-fierce/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“All Hell is smaller than one pebble of your earthly world: but it is smaller than one atom of this world, the Real World.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/all-hell-is-smaller-than-one-pebble-of-your-earthly-world-but-it-is/) [C.S. 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Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“We use a most unfortunate idiom when we say, of a lustful man prowling the streets, that he "wants a woman". Strictly speaking, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/we-use-a-most-unfortunate-idiom-when-we-say-of-a-lustful-man-prowling/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Después de cada fracaso, pedid perdón, levantaos del suelo y volved a intentarlo. Muy a menudo, lo que Dios nos otorga primero no es…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/despu-s-de-cada-fracaso-pedid-perd-n-levantaos-del-suelo-y-volved-a/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Then two wonders happened at the same moment. One was that the voice was suddenly joined by other voices; more voices than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/then-two-wonders-happened-at-the-same-moment-one-was-that-the-voice/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/because-free-will-though-it-makes-evil-possible-is-also-the-only/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Laugh and fear not, creatures. Now that you are no longer dumb and witless, you need not always be grave. For jokes as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/laugh-and-fear-not-creatures-now-that-you-are-no-longer-dumb-and/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“When two humans have lived together for many years it usually happens that each has tones of voice and expressions of face which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-two-humans-have-lived-together-for-many-years-it-usually-happens/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“He sees as well as you do that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/he-sees-as-well-as-you-do-that-courage-is-not-simply-one-of-the/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“If you do not take the distinction between good and bad very seriously, then it is easy to say that anything you find in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-you-do-not-take-the-distinction-between-good-and-bad-very/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/now-the-whole-offer-which-christianity-makes-is-this-that-we-can-if/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) [Explore all 1,165 C.S. Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## More Appreciative quotes > [My college experience was like everyone else's. I learned a lot. I gained a new perspective on the world and on people that I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-carpenter/my-college-experience-was-like-everyone-else-s-i-learned-a-lot-i/) [Kyle Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-carpenter/) > [I felt my personal life was not what it should be. It had nothing to do with Mr. Show - I'm monstrously appreciative and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-odenkirk/i-felt-my-personal-life-was-not-what-it-should-be-it-had-nothing-to/) [Bob Odenkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-odenkirk/) > [Share your enthusiasm with the collector's enthusiasm for the work, and discover things together. Be nice and appreciative and at the same time give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kostabi/share-your-enthusiasm-with-the-collector-s-enthusiasm-for-the-work/) [Mark Kostabi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kostabi/) > [As a member of the House Committee on Small Business and because of my own experience as a small business owner, I am appreciative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-bean/as-a-member-of-the-house-committee-on-small-business-and-because-of/) [Melissa Bean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-bean/) > [I'm very appreciative to the people of Atlanta, forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-horford/i-m-very-appreciative-to-the-people-of-atlanta-forever/) [Al Horford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-horford/) > [“Let us be appreciative of all the beauties and blessings of our lives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/let-us-be-appreciative-of-all-the-beauties-and-blessings-of-our-lives/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [Work hard. Don’t quit. Be appreciative, be thankful, be grateful, be respectful. Also, never whine, never complain. And always, for crying out loud, keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-keaton/work-hard-don-t-quit-be-appreciative-be-thankful-be-grateful-be/) [Michael Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-keaton/) > [“Not that I regret my previous choice. It’s only that the anticipation of killing has me feeling particularly appreciative of youth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/not-that-i-regret-my-previous-choice-it-s-only-that-the-anticipation/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [The thing that is cool about my come up is that I dealt with fame and having money gradually. It didn't happen overnight. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-songz/the-thing-that-is-cool-about-my-come-up-is-that-i-dealt-with-fame-and/) [Trey Songz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-songz/) > [One of my obsession is animals. I'm into dog rescues. It drives me crazy when people go to pet stores and buy dogs. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-o-heir/one-of-my-obsession-is-animals-i-m-into-dog-rescues-it-drives-me/) [Jim O'Heir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-o-heir/) > [“If you do not find the deed producing a sweetness or expansion in your heart, then blame it. For the Lord, Exalted is He,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abd-al-rahman-al-sa-di/if-you-do-not-find-the-deed-producing-a-sweetness-or-expansion-in/) [Abd al-Rahman al-Sa'di](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abd-al-rahman-al-sa-di/) > [I seem to have very few casual readers, only passionate and appreciative ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/i-seem-to-have-very-few-casual-readers-only-passionate-and/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [I was able to learn a lot in my first four years in the league at a very high level, and I'm appreciative and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-poole/i-was-able-to-learn-a-lot-in-my-first-four-years-in-the-league-at-a/) [Jordan Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-poole/) > [I think that people with differing points of view find common ground in 'Modern Family' is very flattering, and I'm appreciative of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-levitan/i-think-that-people-with-differing-points-of-view-find-common-ground/) [Steven Levitan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-levitan/) > [“Commonplaces never become tiresome. It is we who become tired when we cease to be curious and appreciative. We find that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-rockwell/commonplaces-never-become-tiresome-it-is-we-who-become-tired-when-we/) [Norman Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-rockwell/) [Browse all 258 Appreciative quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciative/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In a perfect Friendship this Appreciative love is, I think, often so great and so firmly based that each member of the circle feels, in his secret heart, humbled before the rest. Sometimes he wonders what he is doing there among his betters. He is lucky beyond desert to be in such company. Especially when the whole group is together; each bringing out all that is best, wisest, or funniest in all the others. Those are the golden sessions; when four or five of us after a hard day's walk have come to our inn; when our slippers are on, our feet spread out toward the blaze and our drinks are at our elbows; when the whole world, and something beyond the world, opens itself to our minds as we talk; and no one has any claim on or any responsibility for another, but all are freemen and equals as if we had first met an hour ago, while at the same time an Affection mellowed by the years enfolds us. Life — natural life — has no better gift to give. Who could have deserved it?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.S. 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