--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If one could be friendly with women, what…" description: "\"If one could be friendly with women, what a pleasure - the relationship so secret and private compared with relations with men. Why not write about it ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4a/virginia-woolf-49_friendly_if-one-could-be-friendly-with-women-what_2179202.jpg" --- # If one could be friendly with women, what a pleasure - the… ![“If one could be friendly with women, what a pleasure - the relationship so secret and private compared with relations with men. Why not write about it truthfully?” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4a/virginia-woolf-49_friendly_if-one-could-be-friendly-with-women-what_2179202.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4a/virginia-woolf-49_friendly_if-one-could-be-friendly-with-women-what_2179202.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4a/virginia-woolf-49_friendly_if-one-could-be-friendly-with-women-what_2179202.jpg) > “If one could be friendly with women, what a pleasure - the relationship so secret and private compared with relations with men. Why not write about it truthfully?” [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She suggests that women can have meaningful friendships, which are often more intimate and private than those with men, urging honest writing about them. **In simple terms:** Women’s friendships can be deep and private; write truthfully. Key Takeaway Value and write about women’s friendships. Themes gender friendship writing honesty Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal essays - literary criticism - gender studies Key Concepts feminist literature social norms intimacy Questions to Reflect On - How can honest portrayal change perceptions? - What barriers exist for women’s friendships? A Different Perspective May romanticize friendships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Why not](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/why-not/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) ## Related quotes > [The biggest piece of advice I would give to other women and girls is that it's really hard, and I feel like we're promised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-blanchard/the-biggest-piece-of-advice-i-would-give-to-other-women-and-girls-is/) [Rowan Blanchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-blanchard/) > [“I was alone in this discovery because it was my secret, my private exploration.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paloma-beck/i-was-alone-in-this-discovery-because-it-was-my-secret-my-private/) [Paloma Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paloma-beck/) > [A lot of women get out of the business because it's so not family-friendly. 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I just like hanging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/many-men-start-being-friendly-with-women-because-they-are-trying-to/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it. Is it really worth it to risk your health—mental and physical—for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivi-monroe-congress/if-a-relationship-has-to-be-a-secret-you-shouldn-t-be-in-it-is-it/) Vivi Monroe Congress > [If u have to keep your relationship a secret , you shouldn't be in it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/if-u-have-to-keep-your-relationship-a-secret-you-shouldn-t-be-in-it/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [In the time you are in a relationship there must be no secret for each other. 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I am about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-train-slows-and-lengthens-as-we-approach-london-the-centre-and-my/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Across the broad continent of a woman's life falls the shadow of a sword. On one side all is correct, definite, orderly; the paths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/across-the-broad-continent-of-a-woman-s-life-falls-the-shadow-of-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Other worshipful objects were content with worship; men, women, God, all let one kneel prostrate; but this form, were it only the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/other-worshipful-objects-were-content-with-worship-men-women-god-all/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Why does Samuel Butler say, 'Wise men never say what they think of women'? Wise men never say anything else apparently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/why-does-samuel-butler-say-wise-men-never-say-what-they-think-of/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Sometimes he woke with a brain like lead; at others it was as if a thousand wax tapers were alight and people were throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/sometimes-he-woke-with-a-brain-like-lead-at-others-it-was-as-if-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The extraordinary woman depends on the ordinary woman. It is only when we know what were the conditions of the average woman's life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-extraordinary-woman-depends-on-the-ordinary-woman-it-is-only-when/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [A veil of insanity everywhere: Oh why I was born in this age? It is a terrible age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-veil-of-insanity-everywhere-oh-why-i-was-born-in-this-age-it-is-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Love ought to stop on both sides, don’t you think, simultaneously?’ He spoke without any stress on the words, so as not to wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/love-ought-to-stop-on-both-sides-don-t-you-think-simultaneously-he/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“It is so vast an alleviation to be able to point for another to look at. And then not to talk. To follow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/it-is-so-vast-an-alleviation-to-be-able-to-point-for-another-to-look/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“What a vast fertility of pleasure books hold for me! (...) I think I could happily live here & read forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-vast-fertility-of-pleasure-books-hold-for-me-i-think-i-could/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“what a luxury to be alone once more,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-luxury-to-be-alone-once-more/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“...a woman writing thinks back through her mothers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-woman-writing-thinks-back-through-her-mothers/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“For one's children so often gave one's own perceptions a little thrust forwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-one-s-children-so-often-gave-one-s-own-perceptions-a-little/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“She would not say of anyone in the world now that they were this or were that. She felt very young; at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-would-not-say-of-anyone-in-the-world-now-that-they-were-this-or/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) [Explore all 1,872 Virginia Woolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## More Friendly quotes > [Americans are very friendly and very suspicious, that is what Americans are and that is what always upsets the foreigner, who deals with them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/americans-are-very-friendly-and-very-suspicious-that-is-what/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“Water is so friendly when you have it on your palms, but so evil when they have you on theirs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/water-is-so-friendly-when-you-have-it-on-your-palms-but-so-evil-when/) [M.F. 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They do not even have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/international-friendly-games-are-not-worth-the-lives-of-the-silk/) [Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/) > [We have reiterated on many occasions that China wishes to establish and develop long-term, good-neighbourly and friendly relations with all countries in south Asia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-peng/we-have-reiterated-on-many-occasions-that-china-wishes-to-establish/) [Li Peng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-peng/) > [A girl who would fall in love so easily or want a man to love her so easily would probably get over it just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-girl-who-would-fall-in-love-so-easily-or-want-a-man-to-love-her-so/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think Diana was a very friendly person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-corrin/i-think-diana-was-a-very-friendly-person/) [Emma Corrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-corrin/) > [I'm very friendly and nice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-beecham/i-m-very-friendly-and-nice/) [Emily Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-beecham/) > [Hey Sydney," she said, giving me a small, crooked smile as she entered the room. Her flashing, dark eyes were friendly, but they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/hey-sydney-she-said-giving-me-a-small-crooked-smile-as-she-entered/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Dave Wann's recipes from his own experience in Simple Prosperity are a breath of fresh air, and just what we need for a saner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazel-henderson/dave-wann-s-recipes-from-his-own-experience-in-simple-prosperity-are/) [Hazel Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazel-henderson/) > [I did a ski festival in Austria once. I was struck by how friendly Austrians were, before gradually realising it's more that Glaswegians are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-boyle/i-did-a-ski-festival-in-austria-once-i-was-struck-by-how-friendly/) [Frankie Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-boyle/) > [Be friendly it makes life more interesting by respecting the color of each person you'll going to encounter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/be-friendly-it-makes-life-more-interesting-by-respecting-the-color-of/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [When you stroll through Munich it can happen that you suddenly stand in front of an old house, an idyllically-dreaming church that smiles like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/when-you-stroll-through-munich-it-can-happen-that-you-suddenly-stand/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [Once I got a guitar that was relatively user-friendly, but not super-duper easy, I really came on as a guitarist, at that point. 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