--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Close friends, or those in my pay…" description: "\"Close friends, or those in my pay, sometimes call me a literary polymath, while others say that I'm just a shallow dilettante, superficial and breezy, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/michael-dirda-3414_close-friends_close-friends-or-those-in-my-pay-sometim_2313190.png" --- # Close friends, or those in my pay, sometimes call me a… ![“Close friends, or those in my pay, sometimes call me a literary polymath, while others say that I'm just a shallow dilettante, superficial and breezy, with a faux-naif style.” quote by Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/michael-dirda-3414_close-friends_close-friends-or-those-in-my-pay-sometim_2313190.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/michael-dirda-3414_close-friends_close-friends-or-those-in-my-pay-sometim_2313190.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/michael-dirda-3414_close-friends_close-friends-or-those-in-my-pay-sometim_2313190.png) > “Close friends, or those in my pay, sometimes call me a literary polymath, while others say that I'm just a shallow dilettante, superficial and breezy, with a faux-naif style.” [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being called a literary polymath or a dilettante reflects differing perceptions of breadth versus depth in knowledge. **In simple terms:** People see breadth as either expertise or superficiality. Key Takeaway Balance depth with breadth in learning. Themes literature identity perception expertise superficiality Mood curious thoughtful Type analytical self‑reflective When to use this quote - academic conferences - book clubs - personal branding - creative writing - social media presence Key Concepts interdisciplinary study self‑presentation Questions to Reflect On - Do I value breadth over depth in my own pursuits? - How can I demonstrate depth without losing versatility? A Different Perspective Depth may be undervalued in fast‑paced cultural contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Close Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/close-friend/) [Close friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/close-friends/) [Dilettante Superficial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dilettante-superficial-5502562/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Literary Polymath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-polymath-5502560/) [Others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/others/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Shallow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shallow/) [Shallow Dilettante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shallow-dilettante-5502563/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/) [Superficial Breezy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superficial-breezy-5502561/) ## Related quotes > [Drifting away from close friends, is one of the shittiest feelings ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rona-mae-batas/drifting-away-from-close-friends-is-one-of-the-shittiest-feelings-ever/) [Rona Mae Batas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rona-mae-batas/) > [“There was no question that Jorge 'Billy' Nayor liked to get high; he just didn't think of himself as a drug dealer per se.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinosaur-in-the-park-jorge-nayor/there-was-no-question-that-jorge-billy-nayor-liked-to-get-high-he/) [Dinosaur in the Park Jorge Nayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinosaur-in-the-park-jorge-nayor/) > [Many of the crew members I work with and continue to work with were friends or have become close friends, and so we keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-baumbach/many-of-the-crew-members-i-work-with-and-continue-to-work-with-were/) [Noah Baumbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-baumbach/) > [When I look back on my life, it seems nearly everything of interest happened in little more than one decade - dramas, tragedies, major…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-radziwill/when-i-look-back-on-my-life-it-seems-nearly-everything-of-interest/) [Lee Radziwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-radziwill/) > [“Someone once asked Gandhi for a sermon, and his reply was, “My life is my sermon.” In the same way, we see how Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-l-corey/someone-once-asked-gandhi-for-a-sermon-and-his-reply-was-my-life-is/) [Benjamin L. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-l-corey/) > ['Girls Go Wild' was born out of a Joshua Tree excursion with some close friends after coming home from a long bit of touring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lp/girls-go-wild-was-born-out-of-a-joshua-tree-excursion-with-some-close/) [LP](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lp/) > [I have a few very close friends, then I have some good friends, lots of acquaintances and a large mass of people I tolerate!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-a-few-very-close-friends-then-i-have-some-good-friends-lots-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You will look back on the times you laughed and you will cry. You will look back on the times you cried, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sweetangelunknown/you-will-look-back-on-the-times-you-laughed-and-you-will-cry-you-will/) [Sweetangelunknown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sweetangelunknown/) > [I didn't see conflict during the Vietnam War, but I did lose close friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buffer/i-didn-t-see-conflict-during-the-vietnam-war-but-i-did-lose-close/) [Michael Buffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buffer/) > [Alex,do you remember this time?the time when we were best budds used to talk all the time about snything and everything?i miss those times,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/alex-do-you-remember-this-time-the-time-when-we-were-best-budds-used/) [Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/) > [Over the years, I have created close friendships with many successful men, many of whom I have made a lot of money for through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-roth/over-the-years-i-have-created-close-friendships-with-many-successful/) [Carol Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-roth/) > [“But by the time those acquaintances became close friends, it was too late. Perhaps there was a perfect moment in between, when you were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-frankel/but-by-the-time-those-acquaintances-became-close-friends-it-was-too/) [Laurie Frankel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-frankel/) > [We were close friends. something got between us and you gave up. I know you think I hate you , but I dont ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-were-close-friends-something-got-between-us-and-you-gave-up-i-know/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“An English comedian once explained the popularity of umlauts among native English speakers as follows: "It's almost as if they had two eyes. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bergmann/an-english-comedian-once-explained-the-popularity-of-umlauts-among/) [David Bergmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bergmann/) > [When I signed with WWE, a lot of people, even close friends, told me that this place was going to chew me up and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sami-zayn/when-i-signed-with-wwe-a-lot-of-people-even-close-friends-told-me/) [Sami Zayn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sami-zayn/) ## More by Michael Dirda > [Nearly all the writing of our time is likely to disappear in a hundred years. Certainly most readers - and nearly all critics -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/nearly-all-the-writing-of-our-time-is-likely-to-disappear-in-a/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [I sometimes lie awake at night and try to imagine what would be the best period in history to spend one's seventy-odd years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/i-sometimes-lie-awake-at-night-and-try-to-imagine-what-would-be-the/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [To my mind, 'Dear Brutus' stands halfway between Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's 'Into the Woods'. Like them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/to-my-mind-dear-brutus-stands-halfway-between-shakespeare-s-a/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [The goal of a just society should be to provide satisfying work with a living wage to all its citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/the-goal-of-a-just-society-should-be-to-provide-satisfying-work-with/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [Most lyric poetry is about love, whether yearned after, fulfilled, or wistfully regretted; what isn't tends to consist of laments and cris du coeur…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/most-lyric-poetry-is-about-love-whether-yearned-after-fulfilled-or/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [“Books, by their very nature and variety, help us grow in empathy for others, in tolerance and awareness. But they should increase our skepticism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/books-by-their-very-nature-and-variety-help-us-grow-in-empathy-for/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [My gift, if that's not too grandiose a term, is one for describing novels, biographies, and works of history in such a way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/my-gift-if-that-s-not-too-grandiose-a-term-is-one-for-describing/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [Once we know the plot and its surprises, we can appreciate a book's artistry without the usual confusion and sap flow of emotion, content…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/once-we-know-the-plot-and-its-surprises-we-can-appreciate-a-book-s/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [My wife tells me I should check out 'Downton Abbey', but I gather that series might be almost too intense for my temperate nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/my-wife-tells-me-i-should-check-out-downton-abbey-but-i-gather-that/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [A reviewer's lot is not always an easy one. I can remember flogging myself to finish Harold Brodkey's 'The Runaway Soul' despite the novel's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/a-reviewer-s-lot-is-not-always-an-easy-one-i-can-remember-flogging/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [I once read that in vaudeville, it was often the straight guy who got paid more than the comic because that's the tougher job.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/i-once-read-that-in-vaudeville-it-was-often-the-straight-guy-who-got/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [From the late 19th to the early 20th century, the December issue of almost any general-interest magazine regularly featured a holiday horror or two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/from-the-late-19th-to-the-early-20th-century-the-december-issue-of/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [Neither my mom nor my dad ever bought me any comic books. Certainly not for Christmas. I suspect that doing so would have violated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/neither-my-mom-nor-my-dad-ever-bought-me-any-comic-books-certainly/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [For me, the two weeks between Christmas and Twelfth Night have come to be reserved for desultory reading. The pressure of the holiday is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/for-me-the-two-weeks-between-christmas-and-twelfth-night-have-come-to/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [I've always liked an easygoing, colloquial style. I like the kind of reviewer who is essentially a fellow reader, an enthusiast, a fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/i-ve-always-liked-an-easygoing-colloquial-style-i-like-the-kind-of/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) [Explore all 131 Michael Dirda quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) ## More Close friends quotes > [I don't have alot of people to talk to. Not alot of people are worth my time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-anne-peters/i-don-t-have-alot-of-people-to-talk-to-not-alot-of-people-are-worth/) [Julie Anne Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-anne-peters/) > [Drifting away from close friends, is one of the shittiest feelings ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rona-mae-batas/drifting-away-from-close-friends-is-one-of-the-shittiest-feelings-ever/) [Rona Mae Batas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rona-mae-batas/) > [“An English comedian once explained the popularity of umlauts among native English speakers as follows: "It's almost as if they had two eyes. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bergmann/an-english-comedian-once-explained-the-popularity-of-umlauts-among/) [David Bergmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bergmann/) > [Being close to my friends. I like to spend time alone as well, but the best time is with friends around when you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chace-crawford/being-close-to-my-friends-i-like-to-spend-time-alone-as-well-but-the/) [Chace Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chace-crawford/) > [We were close friends. something got between us and you gave up. I know you think I hate you , but I dont ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-were-close-friends-something-got-between-us-and-you-gave-up-i-know/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“But by the time those acquaintances became close friends, it was too late. Perhaps there was a perfect moment in between, when you were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-frankel/but-by-the-time-those-acquaintances-became-close-friends-it-was-too/) [Laurie Frankel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-frankel/) > [Over the years, I have created close friendships with many successful men, many of whom I have made a lot of money for through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-roth/over-the-years-i-have-created-close-friendships-with-many-successful/) [Carol Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-roth/) > [Alex,do you remember this time?the time when we were best budds used to talk all the time about snything and everything?i miss those times,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/alex-do-you-remember-this-time-the-time-when-we-were-best-budds-used/) [Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/) > [I didn't see conflict during the Vietnam War, but I did lose close friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buffer/i-didn-t-see-conflict-during-the-vietnam-war-but-i-did-lose-close/) [Michael Buffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buffer/) > [You will look back on the times you laughed and you will cry. You will look back on the times you cried, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sweetangelunknown/you-will-look-back-on-the-times-you-laughed-and-you-will-cry-you-will/) [Sweetangelunknown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sweetangelunknown/) > [I have a few very close friends, then I have some good friends, lots of acquaintances and a large mass of people I tolerate!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-a-few-very-close-friends-then-i-have-some-good-friends-lots-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > ['Girls Go Wild' was born out of a Joshua Tree excursion with some close friends after coming home from a long bit of touring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lp/girls-go-wild-was-born-out-of-a-joshua-tree-excursion-with-some-close/) [LP](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lp/) > [“Someone once asked Gandhi for a sermon, and his reply was, “My life is my sermon.” In the same way, we see how Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-l-corey/someone-once-asked-gandhi-for-a-sermon-and-his-reply-was-my-life-is/) [Benjamin L. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-l-corey/) > [When I look back on my life, it seems nearly everything of interest happened in little more than one decade - dramas, tragedies, major…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-radziwill/when-i-look-back-on-my-life-it-seems-nearly-everything-of-interest/) [Lee Radziwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-radziwill/) > [Many of the crew members I work with and continue to work with were friends or have become close friends, and so we keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-baumbach/many-of-the-crew-members-i-work-with-and-continue-to-work-with-were/) [Noah Baumbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-baumbach/) [Browse all 597 Close friends quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/close-friends/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Close friends, or those in my pay, sometimes call me a literary polymath, while others say that I'm just a shallow dilettante, superficial and breezy, with a faux-naif style.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Dirda" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/close-friends-or-those-in-my-pay-sometimes-call-me-a-literary/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Close friends" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/close-friends-or-those-in-my-pay-sometimes-call-me-a-literary/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/michael-dirda-3414_close-friends_close-friends-or-those-in-my-pay-sometim_2313190.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/michael-dirda-3414_close-friends_close-friends-or-those-in-my-pay-sometim_2313190.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/michael-dirda-3414_close-friends_close-friends-or-those-in-my-pay-sometim_2313190.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Close friends, or those in my pay, sometimes call me a literary polymath, while others say that I'm just a…” — Michael Dirda", "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": "Michael Dirda", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Close friends, or those in my...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/close-friends-or-those-in-my-pay-sometimes-call-me-a-literary/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/close-friends-or-those-in-my-pay-sometimes-call-me-a-literary/#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 } } ] } ```