--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are as liable to be corrupted by…" description: "\"We are as liable to be corrupted by books, as by companions.\" — Henry Fielding" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/henry-fielding-1358_book_we-are-as-liable-to-be-corrupted-by-book_2594091.png" --- # We are as liable to be corrupted by books, as by companions. ![“We are as liable to be corrupted by books, as by companions.” quote by Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/henry-fielding-1358_book_we-are-as-liable-to-be-corrupted-by-book_2594091.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/henry-fielding-1358_book_we-are-as-liable-to-be-corrupted-by-book_2594091.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/henry-fielding-1358_book_we-are-as-liable-to-be-corrupted-by-book_2594091.png) > “We are as liable to be corrupted by books, as by companions.” [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Books and companions both shape character; influence can be moral or corrupting. **In simple terms:** Reading and friendships affect us similarly. Key Takeaway Choose influences wisely. Themes influence morality companionship Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - friendship - leadership - personal development Key Concepts literature social psychology Questions to Reflect On - What influences shape your values? - How do you assess a companion’s impact? A Different Perspective Not all books are corrupting; some inspire virtue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Companions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companions/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“We are as liable to be corrupted by books as we are by companions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/we-are-as-liable-to-be-corrupted-by-books-as-we-are-by-companions/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [The burning soul, the burden'd mind, In books alone companions find.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-josepha-hale/the-burning-soul-the-burden-d-mind-in-books-alone-companions-find/) [Sarah Josepha Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-josepha-hale/) > [“Books are companions even if you don't open them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/books-are-companions-even-if-you-don-t-open-them/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [Make your books your companions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-talmud/make-your-books-your-companions/) [The Talmud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-talmud/) > [I can't picture going to a beach, or anywhere on vacation, without a couple of books as companions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosecrans-baldwin/i-can-t-picture-going-to-a-beach-or-anywhere-on-vacation-without-a/) [Rosecrans Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosecrans-baldwin/) > [“Plantations of good morals are easily captivated, colonized and corrupted by the pests of a bad company. Spray away bad companies and you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/plantations-of-good-morals-are-easily-captivated-colonized-and/) [israelmore ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Dignity and love were never yet boon companions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/dignity-and-love-were-never-yet-boon-companions/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [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/) > [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/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Make books your companions; let your bookshelves be your gardens; bask in their beauty, gather their fruit, pluck their roses, take their spices and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ben-judah-ibn-tibbon/make-books-your-companions-let-your-bookshelves-be-your-gardens-bask/) Samuel Ben Judah Ibn Tibbon > [Worthy books Are not companions – they are solitudes: We lose ourselves in them and all our cares.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-james-bailey/worthy-books-are-not-companions-they-are-solitudes-we-lose-ourselves/) [Philip James Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-james-bailey/) > [Books are ... companions, teachers, magicians, bankers of the treasures of mind. Books are humanity in print.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/books-are-companions-teachers-magicians-bankers-of-the-treasures-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ You asked me where I generally lived. In my workshop \[i.e. in his study\] in the mornings and always in the library in the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/you-asked-me-where-i-generally-lived-in-my-workshop-i-e-in-his-study/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [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/) > [The government is corrupted. It's corrupted. It is not about regular people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-schmidt/the-government-is-corrupted-it-s-corrupted-it-is-not-about-regular/) [Steve Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-schmidt/) ## More by Henry Fielding > [“Though Jones had formerly believed himself in the very prime of youth and vigor, his first encounter with Lady Bellaston both vexed and puzzled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/though-jones-had-formerly-believed-himself-in-the-very-prime-of-youth/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [A good man therefore is a standing lesson to us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/a-good-man-therefore-is-a-standing-lesson-to-us-all/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [Good-breeding is not confined to externals, much less to any particular dress or attitude of the body; it is the art of pleasing, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/good-breeding-is-not-confined-to-externals-much-less-to-any/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [Adversity is the trial of principle. Without it, a man hardly knows whether he is honest or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/adversity-is-the-trial-of-principle-without-it-a-man-hardly-knows/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [Sir, money, money, the most charming of all things; money, which will say more in one moment than the most elegant lover can in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/sir-money-money-the-most-charming-of-all-things-money-which-will-say/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [The greatest part of mankind labor under one delirium or another; and Don Quixote differed from the rest, not in madness, but the species…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/the-greatest-part-of-mankind-labor-under-one-delirium-or-another-and/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [Want compassion is not to be numbered among the general faults of mankind. The black ingredient which fouls our disposition is envy. Hence our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/want-compassion-is-not-to-be-numbered-among-the-general-faults-of/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [It is well known to all great men, that by conferring an obligation they do not always procure a friend, but are certain of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/it-is-well-known-to-all-great-men-that-by-conferring-an-obligation/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [One fool at least in every married couple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/one-fool-at-least-in-every-married-couple/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [A lover, when he is admitted to cards, ought to be solemnly silent, and observe the motions of his mistress. He must laugh when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/a-lover-when-he-is-admitted-to-cards-ought-to-be-solemnly-silent-and/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [If you make money your god, it will plague you like the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/if-you-make-money-your-god-it-will-plague-you-like-the-devil/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [As a conquered rebellion strengthens a government, or as health is more perfectly established by recovery from some diseases; so anger, when removed, often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/as-a-conquered-rebellion-strengthens-a-government-or-as-health-is/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [A wonder lasts but nine days, and then the puppy's eyes are open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/a-wonder-lasts-but-nine-days-and-then-the-puppy-s-eyes-are-open/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [Custom may lead a man into many errors; but it justifies none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/custom-may-lead-a-man-into-many-errors-but-it-justifies-none/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [A grave aspect to a grave character is of much more consequence than the world is generally aware of; a barber may make you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/a-grave-aspect-to-a-grave-character-is-of-much-more-consequence-than/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) [Explore all 246 Henry Fielding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are as liable to be corrupted by books, as by companions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Fielding" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/we-are-as-liable-to-be-corrupted-by-books-as-by-companions/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/we-are-as-liable-to-be-corrupted-by-books-as-by-companions/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/henry-fielding-1358_book_we-are-as-liable-to-be-corrupted-by-book_2594091.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/henry-fielding-1358_book_we-are-as-liable-to-be-corrupted-by-book_2594091.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/henry-fielding-1358_book_we-are-as-liable-to-be-corrupted-by-book_2594091.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are as liable to be corrupted by books, as by companions.” — Henry Fielding", "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": "Henry Fielding", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We are as liable to be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/we-are-as-liable-to-be-corrupted-by-books-as-by-companions/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/we-are-as-liable-to-be-corrupted-by-books-as-by-companions/#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 } } ] } ```