--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With books, as with companions, it is of…" description: "\"With books, as with companions, it is of more consequence to know which to avoid, than which to choose, for good books are as scarce as good companions..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/charles-caleb-colton-270_book_with-books-as-with-companions-it-is-of-m_2429487.png" --- # With books, as with companions, it is of more consequence… ![“With books, as with companions, it is of more consequence to know which to avoid, than which to choose, for good books are as scarce as good companions, and in both instances, all that we can learn from baad ones is, that some much time has been worse than thrown away.” quote by Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/charles-caleb-colton-270_book_with-books-as-with-companions-it-is-of-m_2429487.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/charles-caleb-colton-270_book_with-books-as-with-companions-it-is-of-m_2429487.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/charles-caleb-colton-270_book_with-books-as-with-companions-it-is-of-m_2429487.png) > “With books, as with companions, it is of more consequence to know which to avoid, than which to choose, for good books are as scarce as good companions, and in both instances, all that we can learn from baad ones is, that some much time has been worse than thrown away.” [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing wisely whom to avoid is more valuable than selecting companions. **In simple terms:** Avoid bad influences. Key Takeaway Prioritize avoiding harmful influences. Themes wisdom choice literature companionship learning Mood contemplative instructive analytical Type philosophical advisory When to use this quote - reading lists - social circles - personal development - time management Key Concepts philosophy critical thinking literary criticism Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify detrimental influences? - What criteria help you select valuable companions? A Different Perspective Not all bad choices are equally harmful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Companion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companion/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Good book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-book/) [Good books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-books/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [With books, as with companions, it is of more consequence to know which to avoid, than which to choose; for good books are as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/with-books-as-with-companions-it-is-of-more-consequence-to-know-which-2/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [We should choose our books as we would our companions, for their sterling and intrinsic merit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/we-should-choose-our-books-as-we-would-our-companions-for-their/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [I grew up in a place where books were very, very scarce, and I loved to read. 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