--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Many a person has held close, throughout…" description: "\"Many a person has held close, throughout their entire lives, two friends that always remained strange to one another, because one of them attracted by ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c85/emil-ludwig-44197_friendship_many-a-person-has-held-close-throughout_916482.jpg" --- # Many a person has held close, throughout their entire… ![“Many a person has held close, throughout their entire lives, two friends that always remained strange to one another, because one of them attracted by virtue of similarity, the other by difference.” quote by Emil Ludwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c85/emil-ludwig-44197_friendship_many-a-person-has-held-close-throughout_916482.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c85/emil-ludwig-44197_friendship_many-a-person-has-held-close-throughout_916482.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c85/emil-ludwig-44197_friendship_many-a-person-has-held-close-throughout_916482.jpg) > “Many a person has held close, throughout their entire lives, two friends that always remained strange to one another, because one of them attracted by virtue of similarity, the other by difference.” [Emil Ludwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ludwig/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often bond over both similarity and difference, creating complex friendships. **In simple terms:** Friendships can thrive on both sameness and contrast. Key Takeaway Value both common ground and diversity. Themes friendship contrast psychology Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical insightful When to use this quote - long‑term relationships - work colleagues - family ties Key Concepts social dynamics identity formation Questions to Reflect On - What draws you to similar or different people? - How do you balance both in friendships? A Different Perspective Differences may cause tension despite attraction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attracted Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attracted-virtue-1383659/) [Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Friends Remained](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends-remained-1383658/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Lives Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives-friends-419752/) [Similarity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/similarity/) [Strange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange/) [Strange Attracted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange-attracted-1383657/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Two friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-friends/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [You can measure success by the number of friends who have remained loyal to you, and you to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-e-grant/you-can-measure-success-by-the-number-of-friends-who-have-remained/) [Richard E. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-e-grant/) > [“There is something cathartic about what has happened to me during this stay in hospital. I’ve heard others say that coming face to face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-menadue/there-is-something-cathartic-about-what-has-happened-to-me-during/) [David Menadue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-menadue/) > [“A friend of a friend . . ." Have you ever noticed that our friends' friends have much more interesting lives than our friends themselves?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/a-friend-of-a-friend-have-you-ever-noticed-that-our-friends-friends/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [God often works through the people we have in our lives. So who are your friends? What kind of friend are you to others?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-often-works-through-the-people-we-have-in-our-lives-so-who-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am learning to live close to the lives of my friends without ever seeing them. No miles of any measurement can separate your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/i-am-learning-to-live-close-to-the-lives-of-my-friends-without-ever/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [“sixty years old and lives for the 3 f's--friends, family, and France.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-ivey/sixty-years-old-and-lives-for-the-3-f-s-friends-family-and-france/) [Jamie Ivey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-ivey/) > [Safety, reputation, their lives, their friends, and their world. Writers typically try to avoid that because it's not expedient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/safety-reputation-their-lives-their-friends-and-their-world-writers/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [“Friends come into our lives and friends leave our lives. But friends never leave our hearts. And best friends always get to stay in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-simmons/friends-come-into-our-lives-and-friends-leave-our-lives-but-friends/) [John M. Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-simmons/) > [Some friends leave footprints in your heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/some-friends-leave-footprints-in-your-heart/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [I was a total nerd and had, like, two friends, and then I left my school and got signed to a record deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-jonas/i-was-a-total-nerd-and-had-like-two-friends-and-then-i-left-my-school/) [Kevin Jonas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-jonas/) > [You have two friends in this life ,1 Allah and 2 those who remind u of Allah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hani/you-have-two-friends-in-this-life-1-allah-and-2-those-who-remind-u-of/) [Hani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hani/) > [I have two friends, who have died from this boxing game, and it scares me, but I feel I was made for this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-ruiz-jr/i-have-two-friends-who-have-died-from-this-boxing-game-and-it-scares/) [Andy Ruiz Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-ruiz-jr/) > [“We have a long distance to travel,' said the Angel of Death to our friend Gil, as soon as they had left the Villa.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-antonio-de-alarc-n/we-have-a-long-distance-to-travel-said-the-angel-of-death-to-our/) [Pedro Antonio de Alarcón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-antonio-de-alarc-n/) > [“Now I know... we have at least two friends!... Cillie von Leiden and the hunchback... not bad in our situation... or, come right down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/now-i-know-we-have-at-least-two-friends-cillie-von-leiden-and-the/) [Louis-Ferdinand Céline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/) > [Has this ever happened to you? You run into a friend you haven't spoken to in a while. You look at each other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imynatot/has-this-ever-happened-to-you-you-run-into-a-friend-you-haven-t/) [IMynatot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imynatot/) ## More by Emil Ludwig > [Debate is the death of conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ludwig/debate-is-the-death-of-conversation/) [Emil Ludwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ludwig/) > [Dictatorship is always merely an aria, never an opera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ludwig/dictatorship-is-always-merely-an-aria-never-an-opera/) [Emil Ludwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ludwig/) > [“but he was also a man who clearly understood the limits of the power of the sword. "Do you know," he said in those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ludwig/but-he-was-also-a-man-who-clearly-understood-the-limits-of-the-power/) [Emil Ludwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ludwig/) > [The decision to kiss for the first time is the most crucial one in any love story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ludwig/the-decision-to-kiss-for-the-first-time-is-the-most-crucial-one-in/) [Emil Ludwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ludwig/) > [Just make sure your intentions are not pretensions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ludwig/just-make-sure-your-intentions-are-not-pretensions/) [Emil Ludwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ludwig/) > [Even if Hitler at the last moment would want to avoid war which would destroy him he will, in spite of his wishes, be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ludwig/even-if-hitler-at-the-last-moment-would-want-to-avoid-war-which-would/) [Emil Ludwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ludwig/) > [The decision to kiss for the first time is the most crucial in any love story. It changes the relationship of two people much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ludwig/the-decision-to-kiss-for-the-first-time-is-the-most-crucial-in-any/) [Emil Ludwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ludwig/) > [Hitler will have no war (does not want war), but we will force it on him, not this year, but soon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ludwig/hitler-will-have-no-war-does-not-want-war-but-we-will-force-it-on-him/) [Emil Ludwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ludwig/) [Explore all 9 Emil Ludwig quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ludwig/) ## More Friend quotes > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [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/) > [“But my best friend from college was silent for a long time. She, of all of my friends, had seen the parade of sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/but-my-best-friend-from-college-was-silent-for-a-long-time-she-of-all/) [Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/) > [“way. A true friend isn't the one that agrees with everything you say or do. A true friend is someone that has your back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shameek-speight/way-a-true-friend-isn-t-the-one-that-agrees-with-everything-you-say/) [Shameek Speight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shameek-speight/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“The real purpose of friendship was to discover and exploit weakness in others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-thompson/the-real-purpose-of-friendship-was-to-discover-and-exploit-weakness/) [Brian Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-thompson/) > [That FRIEND who claim they do anything for you. but yet talk behind your back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kushsoulja/that-friend-who-claim-they-do-anything-for-you-but-yet-talk-behind/) [KushSoulja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kushsoulja/) > [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/) > [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [Sam dropped me off. When she was too far away to see me, I started to cry again. Because she was my friend again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/sam-dropped-me-off-when-she-was-too-far-away-to-see-me-i-started-to/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [“When you get lost in a really strange place, nothing is more comforting than found your friend whom you trust and can show the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-get-lost-in-a-really-strange-place-nothing-is-more/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [Friendship, "the wine of life," should, like a well-stocked cellar, be continually renewed; and it is consolatory to think, that although we can seldom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-boswell/friendship-the-wine-of-life-should-like-a-well-stocked-cellar-be/) [James Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-boswell/) > [I fell in love with my best friend, but I know that if it doesn't last, it will never be the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-yang/i-fell-in-love-with-my-best-friend-but-i-know-that-if-it-doesn-t-last/) [Shelly Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-yang/) > [A best friend isn't someone who's just always there for you.Its someone who understands you a bit more than you understand yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/a-best-friend-isn-t-someone-who-s-just-always-there-for-you-its/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) [Browse all 14,984 Friend quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Many a person has held close, throughout their entire lives, two friends that always remained strange to one another, because one of them attracted by virtue of similarity, the other by difference.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emil Ludwig" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ludwig/many-a-person-has-held-close-throughout-their-entire-lives-two/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Friend" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ludwig/many-a-person-has-held-close-throughout-their-entire-lives-two/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c85/emil-ludwig-44197_friendship_many-a-person-has-held-close-throughout_916482.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c85/emil-ludwig-44197_friendship_many-a-person-has-held-close-throughout_916482.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c85/emil-ludwig-44197_friendship_many-a-person-has-held-close-throughout_916482.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Many a person has held close, throughout their entire lives, two friends that always remained strange to one…” — Emil Ludwig", "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": "Emil Ludwig", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ludwig/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Many a person has held close,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ludwig/many-a-person-has-held-close-throughout-their-entire-lives-two/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ludwig/many-a-person-has-held-close-throughout-their-entire-lives-two/#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 } } ] } ```