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First place Quote by Ernest Hemingway

“Women made such swell friends. Awfully swell. In the first place, you had to be in love with a woman to have a basis of friendship. I had been having Brett for a friend. I had not been thinking about her side of it. I had been getting something for nothing. That only delayed the presentation of…” quote by Ernest Hemingway
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““Women made such swell friends. Awfully swell. In the first place, you had to be in love with a woman to have a basis of friendship. I had been having Brett for a friend. I had not been thinking about her side of it. I had been getting something for nothing. That only delayed the presentation of the bill. The bill always came. That was one of the swell things you could count on. I thought I had paid for everything. Not like the woman pays and pays and pays. No idea of retribution or punishment. Just exchange of values. You gave up something and got something else. Or you worked for something. You paid some way for everything that was any good. I paid my way into enough things that I liked, so that I had a good time. Either you paid by learning about them, or by experience, or by taking chances, or by money. Enjoying living was learning to get your money’s worth. The world was a good place to buy in. It seemed like a fine philosophy. In five years, I though, it will seem just as silly as all the other fine philosophies I’ve had.””

Ernest Hemingway

About This Quote

Friendship with women often involves complex exchanges of affection, effort, and expectations, leading to both fulfillment and disappointment.

In simple terms: Women friendships mix love, effort, and payoff.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and balance give‑and‑take in relationships.

Themes

friendship gender dynamics expectations

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

philosophical observational

When to use this quote

  • dating
  • career mentorship
  • creative collaborations

Key Concepts

reciprocity value exchange learning through experience

Questions to Reflect On

  • Do you feel friendships are truly reciprocal?
  • How do you measure the value of a relationship?
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