--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Friendship is a calm and sedate…" description: "\"Friendship is a calm and sedate affection, conducted by reason and cemented by habit; springing from long acquaintance and mutual obligations, without ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/744/david-hume-538_acquaintance_friendship-is-a-calm-and-sedate-affectio_2136359.jpg" --- # Friendship is a calm and sedate affection, conducted by… ![“Friendship is a calm and sedate affection, conducted by reason and cemented by habit; springing from long acquaintance and mutual obligations, without jealousies or fears, and without those feverish fits of heat and cold, which cause such an agreeable torment in the amorous passion.” quote by David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/744/david-hume-538_acquaintance_friendship-is-a-calm-and-sedate-affectio_2136359.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/744/david-hume-538_acquaintance_friendship-is-a-calm-and-sedate-affectio_2136359.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/744/david-hume-538_acquaintance_friendship-is-a-calm-and-sedate-affectio_2136359.jpg) > “Friendship is a calm and sedate affection, conducted by reason and cemented by habit; springing from long acquaintance and mutual obligations, without jealousies or fears, and without those feverish fits of heat and cold, which cause such an agreeable torment in the amorous passion.” [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Friendship is a rational, steady bond formed through shared history and mutual duties, lacking the volatility of romantic love. **In simple terms:** Friendship is calm, reasonable, and habit‑based. Key Takeaway Cultivate steady, duty‑based relationships. Themes friendship reason habit stability mutual obligation Mood calm reflective steady Type philosophical observational descriptive When to use this quote - long‑term collaborations - team projects - community building - mentorship Key Concepts social contract virtue ethics emotional regulation Questions to Reflect On - How does habit sustain friendship over time? - When might reason hinder genuine connection? A Different Perspective May overlook deep emotional intimacy needed in crises. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acquaintance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquaintance/) [Affection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affection/) [Amorous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amorous/) [Calm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calm/) [Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fit/) [Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Friendship Calm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship-calm-4428126/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Heat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heat/) [Heat and cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heat-and-cold/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Mutual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mutual/) [Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Sedate Affection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sedate-affection-4428127/) [Torment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torment/) ## Related quotes > [Praise and blame, good and bad, even heat and cold, must be equally acceptable to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/praise-and-blame-good-and-bad-even-heat-and-cold-must-be-equally/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/evil-does-not-exist-sir-or-at-least-it-does-not-exist-unto-itself/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Polarity, or action and reaction, we meet in every part of nature; in darkness and light; in heat and cold; in the ebb and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/polarity-or-action-and-reaction-we-meet-in-every-part-of-nature-in/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [All the passions are nothing else than different degrees of heat and cold of the blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/all-the-passions-are-nothing-else-than-different-degrees-of-heat-and/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Probably if our lives were more conformed to nature, we should not need to defend ourselves against her heats and colds, but findher our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/probably-if-our-lives-were-more-conformed-to-nature-we-should-not/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The Mutakallemim... apply the term non-existence only to absolute non-existence, and not to absence of properties. 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It is superstition caused by ignorance that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/this-idea-of-body-is-a-simple-superstition-it-is-superstition-that/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Esse est percipi, to be is to be perceived, said good old Berkeley; but, according to most philosophers, he was wrong. Yet, obviously, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeno-vendler/esse-est-percipi-to-be-is-to-be-perceived-said-good-old-berkeley-but/) [Zeno Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeno-vendler/) > [For Christianity is a fighting religion. It thinks God has made the world- that space and time, heat and cold, and all the colors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/for-christianity-is-a-fighting-religion-it-thinks-god-has-made-the/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I have come to know the mutability of all human relationships and have learned to insulate myself against both heat and cold so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/i-have-come-to-know-the-mutability-of-all-human-relationships-and/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [He who would reach the desired goal must, while a boy, suffer and labor much and bear both heat and cold. \[Lat., Qui studet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/he-who-would-reach-the-desired-goal-must-while-a-boy-suffer-and-labor/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Hunger, thirst, heat and cold: I had tasted them in full](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-thesiger/hunger-thirst-heat-and-cold-i-had-tasted-them-in-full/) [Wilfred Thesiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-thesiger/) > [...I will praise the English climate till I die—even if I die of the English climate. There is no weather so good as English…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/i-will-praise-the-english-climate-till-i-die-even-if-i-die-of-the/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) ## More by David Hume > [“Beauty in things exists in the mind that contemplates them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/beauty-in-things-exists-in-the-mind-that-contemplates-them/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [“It is impossible for us to think of any thing, which we have not antecedently felt, either by our external or internal senses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/it-is-impossible-for-us-to-think-of-any-thing-which-we-have-not/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [All morality depends upon our sentiments; and when any action or quality of the mind pleases us after a certain manner we say it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/all-morality-depends-upon-our-sentiments-and-when-any-action-or/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [And indeed nothing but the most determined scepticism, along with a great degree of indolence, can justify this aversion to metaphysics. For if truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/and-indeed-nothing-but-the-most-determined-scepticism-along-with-a/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [...virtue is attended by more peace of mind than vice, and meets with a more favourable reception from the world. I am sensible, that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/virtue-is-attended-by-more-peace-of-mind-than-vice-and-meets-with-a/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [That the sun will not rise tomorrow is no less intelligible a proposition, and implies no more contradiction, than the affirmation, that it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/that-the-sun-will-not-rise-tomorrow-is-no-less-intelligible-a/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [We may conclude, therefore, that, in order to establish laws for the regulation of property, we must be acquainted with the nature and situation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/we-may-conclude-therefore-that-in-order-to-establish-laws-for-the/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [The observation of human blindness and weakness is the result of all philosophy, and meets us at every turn, in spite of our endeavours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-observation-of-human-blindness-and-weakness-is-the-result-of-all/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [The religious hypothesis, therefore, must be considered only as a particular method of accounting for the visible phenomena of the universe: but no just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-religious-hypothesis-therefore-must-be-considered-only-as-a/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [Manufacturers...gradually shift their places, leaving those countries and provinces which they have already enriched, and flying to others, whether they are allured by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/manufacturers-gradually-shift-their-places-leaving-those-countries/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [We may observe that, in displaying the praises of any humane, beneficent man, there is one circumstance which never fails to be amply insisted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/we-may-observe-that-in-displaying-the-praises-of-any-humane/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [“The most perfect happiness, surely, must arise from the contemplation of the most perfect object.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-most-perfect-happiness-surely-must-arise-from-the-contemplation/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [“They all make up new species of crime and bring unhappiness in their train. When I hear a man is religious , I conclude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/they-all-make-up-new-species-of-crime-and-bring-unhappiness-in-their/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [There is not to be found, in all history, any miracle attested by a sufficient number of men, of such unquestioned good sense, education…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/there-is-not-to-be-found-in-all-history-any-miracle-attested-by-a/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [“But though there be naturally a wide difference in point of delicacy between one person and another, nothing tends further to encrease and improve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/but-though-there-be-naturally-a-wide-difference-in-point-of-delicacy/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) [Explore all 487 David Hume quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) ## More Acquaintance quotes > [Distrust all those who love you extremely upon a very slight acquaintance and without any visible reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distrust-all-those-who-love-you-extremely-upon-a-very-slight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Be much alone with God, and take time to get thoroughly acquainted. Converse over everything with Him. Unburden yourself wholly -every thought, feeling, wish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horatius-bonar/be-much-alone-with-god-and-take-time-to-get-thoroughly-acquainted/) [Horatius Bonar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horatius-bonar/) > [The study of history and philosophy, accompanied by some acquaintance with art and literature, should be for lawyers and engineers as well as for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/the-study-of-history-and-philosophy-accompanied-by-some-acquaintance/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [The love of new acquaintance comes not so much from being weary of what we had before, or from any satisfaction there is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-love-of-new-acquaintance-comes-not-so-much-from-being-weary-of/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [One frequently only finds out how really beautiful a women is, until after considerable acquaintance with her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/one-frequently-only-finds-out-how-really-beautiful-a-women-is-until/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“I'd rather be a nodding acquaintance, than a bobble head”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-stern/i-d-rather-be-a-nodding-acquaintance-than-a-bobble-head/) [Josh Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-stern/) > [In addition to my other numerous acquaintances, I have one more intimate confidant… My depression is the most faithful mistress I have known —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/in-addition-to-my-other-numerous-acquaintances-i-have-one-more/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [God is a spirit. 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They propose themselves as either transient… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/books-will-visit-you-at-your-convenience-whether-you-are-lonesome-or/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [I'm not dating Prateik; he is just a good acquaintance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amyra-dastur/i-m-not-dating-prateik-he-is-just-a-good-acquaintance/) [Amyra Dastur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amyra-dastur/) > [Moderation is the inseparable companion of wisdom, but with it genius has not even a nodding acquaintance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/moderation-is-the-inseparable-companion-of-wisdom-but-with-it-genius/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [The greatest embarrassment of my political career has been that active duties seem to deprive me of time for careful investigation. 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