--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We know our friends by their defects…" description: "\"We know our friends by their defects rather than their merits.\" — W. Somerset Maugham" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db0/w-somerset-maugham-237_defects_we-know-our-friends-by-their-defects-rat_1073105.jpg" --- # We know our friends by their defects rather than their… ![“We know our friends by their defects rather than their merits.” quote by W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db0/w-somerset-maugham-237_defects_we-know-our-friends-by-their-defects-rat_1073105.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db0/w-somerset-maugham-237_defects_we-know-our-friends-by-their-defects-rat_1073105.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db0/w-somerset-maugham-237_defects_we-know-our-friends-by-their-defects-rat_1073105.jpg) > “We know our friends by their defects rather than their merits.” [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We recognize friends more by their flaws than by their strengths, revealing true character through imperfections. **In simple terms:** Friends are seen by flaws not merits. Key Takeaway Notice and accept imperfections. Themes friendship perception character Mood reflective insightful Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - conflict resolution - team building - personal relationships - leadership Key Concepts psychology social judgment Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance noticing flaws with appreciating strengths? - Can you recall a time a defect revealed deeper trust? A Different Perspective Flaws can obscure positive qualities and lead to bias. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defects/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) ## Related quotes > [“Then the voice - which identified itself as the prince of this world, the only being who really knows what happens on Earth -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/then-the-voice-which-identified-itself-as-the-prince-of-this-world/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Like pictures, men should be judged by their merits and not by their defects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bainbridge-colby/like-pictures-men-should-be-judged-by-their-merits-and-not-by-their/) [Bainbridge Colby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bainbridge-colby/) > [Constant success shows us but one side of the world. For as it surrounds us with friends who will tell us only our merits,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/constant-success-shows-us-but-one-side-of-the-world-for-as-it/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Best friends: they know you better than you know yourself. Friends: they think they know you better than yourself. Best friends: you can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/best-friends-they-know-you-better-than-you-know-yourself-friends-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When your up, your friends know who you are. When you're down, you know who your friends are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anmol-andore/when-your-up-your-friends-know-who-you-are-when-you-re-down-you-know/) [Anmol Andore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anmol-andore/) > [When you are up in life, Your friends get to know who you are. ButWhen you are down in life, You get to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani/when-you-are-up-in-life-your-friends-get-to-know-who-you-are-butwhen/) [Ani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani/) > [Whatever may be the merits of a religious system, its effects upon the mass of mankind must depend in an important degree upon its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-robbins-curtis/whatever-may-be-the-merits-of-a-religious-system-its-effects-upon-the/) [Benjamin Robbins Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-robbins-curtis/) > [None merits the name of Creator but God and the poet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torquato-tasso/none-merits-the-name-of-creator-but-god-and-the-poet/) [Torquato Tasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torquato-tasso/) > [“Valys also didn't think I was good enough for him. He made that clear every time he acted like a martyr forced to settle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/valys-also-didn-t-think-i-was-good-enough-for-him-he-made-that-clear/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [“Nature evaluates a character on the basis of its merits, not demerits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/nature-evaluates-a-character-on-the-basis-of-its-merits-not-demerits/) [Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/) > [“You yourself desire rank and standing; then help others to get rank and standing. You want to turn your merits to account; then help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/you-yourself-desire-rank-and-standing-then-help-others-to-get-rank/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Don't look for more honor than your learning merits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewish-proverb/don-t-look-for-more-honor-than-your-learning-merits/) Jewish Proverb > [It would be amazing if we were just basically judged on the merits of what we do, but we're not. That's not part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aspen-ladd/it-would-be-amazing-if-we-were-just-basically-judged-on-the-merits-of/) [Aspen Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aspen-ladd/) > [Well, just that there would be somebody in the office and the voters - it was more or less an understanding in the entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/well-just-that-there-would-be-somebody-in-the-office-and-the-voters/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [Even the most abject have a sense of superiority based on powerful though undefined merits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/even-the-most-abject-have-a-sense-of-superiority-based-on-powerful/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) ## More by W. Somerset Maugham > [“A man thinks it quite natural that he should fall out of love with a woman, but it never strikes him for a moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-man-thinks-it-quite-natural-that-he-should-fall-out-of-love-with-a/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“A man's work reveals him. In social intercourse he gives you the surface that he wishes the world to accept, but in his book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-man-s-work-reveals-him-in-social-intercourse-he-gives-you-the/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Love is only a dirty trick played on us to achieve continuation of the species.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/love-is-only-a-dirty-trick-played-on-us-to-achieve-continuation-of/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [The world is hard and cruel. We are here none knows why, and we go none knows whither. We must be very humble. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/the-world-is-hard-and-cruel-we-are-here-none-knows-why-and-we-go-none/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“There is no more merit in having read a thousand books than in having ploughed a thousand fields.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/there-is-no-more-merit-in-having-read-a-thousand-books-than-in-having/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“I wanted to live again and again. I was willing to accept every sort of life, no matter what its pain and sorrow; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/i-wanted-to-live-again-and-again-i-was-willing-to-accept-every-sort/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [In Hollywood, the women are all peaches. It makes one long for an apple occasionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/in-hollywood-the-women-are-all-peaches-it-makes-one-long-for-an-apple/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Follow your inclinations with due regard to the policeman round the corner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/follow-your-inclinations-with-due-regard-to-the-policeman-round-the/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“His love became a prison from which he longed to escape, but he had not the strength merely to open the door-that was all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/his-love-became-a-prison-from-which-he-longed-to-escape-but-he-had/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [I did not believe him capable of love. That is an emotion in which tenderness is an essential part, but Strickland had no tenderness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/i-did-not-believe-him-capable-of-love-that-is-an-emotion-in-which/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [If only the good were a little less heavy-footed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/if-only-the-good-were-a-little-less-heavy-footed/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Perfection has one grave defect: it is apt to be dull.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/perfection-has-one-grave-defect-it-is-apt-to-be-dull/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“A God that can be understood is no God. Who can explain the Infinite in words?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-god-that-can-be-understood-is-no-god-who-can-explain-the-infinite/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“My dear, you used to be quite a dish; now you're quite a tureen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/my-dear-you-used-to-be-quite-a-dish-now-you-re-quite-a-tureen/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“When people say they do not care what others thing of them, for the most part they deceive themselves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/when-people-say-they-do-not-care-what-others-thing-of-them-for-the/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) [Explore all 840 W. Somerset Maugham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) ## More Defects quotes > [It is the common defect of modern art study. Too many students do not know why they draw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-henri/it-is-the-common-defect-of-modern-art-study-too-many-students-do-not/) [Robert Henri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-henri/) > [Selfishness is one of the principal fruits of the corruption of human nature; and it is obvious that selfishness disposes us to over-rate our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/selfishness-is-one-of-the-principal-fruits-of-the-corruption-of-human/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Jesus never met a disease he could not cure, a birth defect he could not reverse, a demon he could not exorcise. But he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/jesus-never-met-a-disease-he-could-not-cure-a-birth-defect-he-could/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [With all of its defects, the global market makes war less likely, even between the USA and China.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/with-all-of-its-defects-the-global-market-makes-war-less-likely-even/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [There are few defects in our nature so glaring as not to be veiled from observation by politeness and good-breeding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanis-aw-i-leszczy-ski/there-are-few-defects-in-our-nature-so-glaring-as-not-to-be-veiled/) [Stanisław I Leszczyński](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanis-aw-i-leszczy-ski/) > [I don't want you to praise me...Some praise me because I am a colored girl, and I don't want that kind of praise. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmonia-lewis/i-don-t-want-you-to-praise-me-some-praise-me-because-i-am-a-colored/) [Edmonia Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmonia-lewis/) > [The sense of tragedy - according to Aristotle - comes, ironically enough, not from the protagonist's weak points but from his good qualities. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sense-of-tragedy-according-to-aristotle-comes-ironically-enough/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Political correctness is a major defect of the western ethos. Some Western countries have even passed blasphemy laws that would put you in legal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-sina/political-correctness-is-a-major-defect-of-the-western-ethos-some/) [Ali Sina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-sina/) > [Absence of defects does not necessarily build business... Something more is required.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/absence-of-defects-does-not-necessarily-build-business-something-more/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [Every reader should remember the diffidence of Socrates, and repair by his candour the injuries of time: he should impute the seeming defects of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/every-reader-should-remember-the-diffidence-of-socrates-and-repair-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The essence of man is his freedom. Sin is committed in that freedom. Sin can therefore not be attributed to a defect in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-essence-of-man-is-his-freedom-sin-is-committed-in-that-freedom/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The second commandment that Jesus referred to was not to love others instead of ourselves, but to love them as ourselves. Before we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-warner/the-second-commandment-that-jesus-referred-to-was-not-to-love-others/) Jim Warner > [The weakest man is the one who is able to correct his moral defects, but doesn't take action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/the-weakest-man-is-the-one-who-is-able-to-correct-his-moral-defects/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [Whoever recounts to you the faults of your neighbour will doubtless expose your defects to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whoever-recounts-to-you-the-faults-of-your-neighbour-will-doubtless/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Like all of us sinners, General Betrishchev was endowed with many virtues and many defects. Both the one and the other were scattered through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/like-all-of-us-sinners-general-betrishchev-was-endowed-with-many/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) [Browse all 559 Defects quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defects/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We know our friends by their defects rather than their merits.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "W. 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