---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is nothing more becoming any wise…"
description: "\"There is nothing more becoming any wise man, than to make choice of friends, for by them thou shalt be judged what thou art: let them therefore be wise..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/walter-raleigh-4068_art_there-is-nothing-more-becoming-any-wise_2833742.png"
---

#  There is nothing more becoming any wise man, than to make…

![“There is nothing more becoming any wise man, than to make choice of friends, for by them thou shalt be judged what thou art: let them therefore be wise and virtuous, and none of those that follow thee for gain; but make election rather of thy betters, than thy inferiors.” quote by Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/walter-raleigh-4068_art_there-is-nothing-more-becoming-any-wise_2833742.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/walter-raleigh-4068_art_there-is-nothing-more-becoming-any-wise_2833742.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/walter-raleigh-4068_art_there-is-nothing-more-becoming-any-wise_2833742.png)

> “There is nothing more becoming any wise man, than to make choice of friends, for by them thou shalt be judged what thou art: let them therefore be wise and virtuous, and none of those that follow thee for gain; but make election rather of thy betters, than thy inferiors.”

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Choosing wise, virtuous friends shapes how others perceive you and influences your character.

**In simple terms:** Friends reflect your character and affect judgment.

Key Takeaway

Select friends of high moral standing.

Themes

friendship character judgment

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- career networking
- personal relationships
- leadership
- community building

Key Concepts

virtue social influence

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you evaluate a friend's true character?
- What risks arise from choosing friends solely for status?

A Different Perspective

Friends may have ulterior motives, making selection difficult.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Being wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-wise/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) [Wise man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-man/)

## Related quotes

> [Let him be wise, or let me be blind; don't let me, she hoped concretely, don't let me know too surely what he thinks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/let-him-be-wise-or-let-me-be-blind-don-t-let-me-she-hoped-concretely/)

[Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/)

> [He that's foolish in the fault, let him be wise in the punishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/he-that-s-foolish-in-the-fault-let-him-be-wise-in-the-punishment/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [Let's be wise as the silence, strong as the wind, useful as the light; let's make of our lips a censer of the virtues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdu-l-bah/let-s-be-wise-as-the-silence-strong-as-the-wind-useful-as-the-light/)

[Abdu'l-Bahá](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdu-l-bah/)

> [“Judge not, lest ye be judged; or if thou wilt, then judge by the Splendor of his Character and the Munificence of his Deeds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scylar-tyberius/judge-not-lest-ye-be-judged-or-if-thou-wilt-then-judge-by-the/)

[Scylar Tyberius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scylar-tyberius/)

> [Advice, as it always gives a temporary appearance of superiority, can never be very grateful, even when it is most necessary or most judicious.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/advice-as-it-always-gives-a-temporary-appearance-of-superiority-can-2/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [“Just because something doesn’t go as planned, doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth your while. Sometimes you have to fall forward, by learning what doesn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-because-something-doesn-t-go-as-planned-doesn-t-mean-it-wasn-t/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Be strong enough to let go and wise enough to wait for what you deserve...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-strong-enough-to-let-go-and-wise-enough-to-wait-for-what-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Be strong enough to let go and wise enough to fight for what you deserve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/be-strong-enough-to-let-go-and-wise-enough-to-fight-for-what-you/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [Since, therefore, no man is born without faults, and he is esteemed the best whose errors are the least, let the wise man consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/since-therefore-no-man-is-born-without-faults-and-he-is-esteemed-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Be wise as thou art cruel, do not press My tongue-tied patience with too much disdain: Lest sorrow lend me words and words express,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/be-wise-as-thou-art-cruel-do-not-press-my-tongue-tied-patience-with/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Money in the opinion of the world, makes a man wise and virtuous; the want of it, foolish and wicked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/money-in-the-opinion-of-the-world-makes-a-man-wise-and-virtuous-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Collect as precious pearls the words of the wise and virtuous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abd-el-kadar/collect-as-precious-pearls-the-words-of-the-wise-and-virtuous/)

Abd-el-Kadar

> [One woman is fair, yet I am well; another is wise, yet I am well; another virtuous, yet I am well; but till all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/one-woman-is-fair-yet-i-am-well-another-is-wise-yet-i-am-well-another/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Even so; an't please your worship, Brakenbury, You may partake of any thing we say: We speak no treason, man; we say the King…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/even-so-an-t-please-your-worship-brakenbury-you-may-partake-of-any/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“I have always considered David Hume as approaching as nearly the idea of a perfectly wise and virtuous man as perhaps the nature of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/i-have-always-considered-david-hume-as-approaching-as-nearly-the-idea/)

[Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/)

## More by Walter Raleigh

> [ \[It is a basic principle of a tyrant\] to unarm his people of weapons, money and all means whereby they resist his power. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/it-is-a-basic-principle-of-a-tyrant-to-unarm-his-people-of-weapons/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [But it is hard to know them from friends, they are so obsequious and full of protestations; for a wolf resembles a dog, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/but-it-is-hard-to-know-them-from-friends-they-are-so-obsequious-and/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [Flatterers are the worst kind of traitors, for they will strengthen thy imperfections, encourage thee in all evils, correct thee in nothing, but so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/flatterers-are-the-worst-kind-of-traitors-for-they-will-strengthen/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [Expressive glances Shall be our lances And pops of Sillery Our light artillery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/expressive-glances-shall-be-our-lances-and-pops-of-sillery-our-light/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [The world is itself but a larger prison, out of which some are daily selected for execution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/the-world-is-itself-but-a-larger-prison-out-of-which-some-are-daily/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [Whosoever, in writing a modern history, shall follow truth too near the heels, it may happily strike out his teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/whosoever-in-writing-a-modern-history-shall-follow-truth-too-near-the/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [Fain would I, but I dare not; I dare, and yet I may not; I may, although I care not, for pleasure when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/fain-would-i-but-i-dare-not-i-dare-and-yet-i-may-not-i-may-although-i/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [And when I'm introduced to one I wish I thought What Jolly Fun!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/and-when-i-m-introduced-to-one-i-wish-i-thought-what-jolly-fun/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [The gain of lying is nothing else but not to be trusted of any, nor to be believed when we say the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/the-gain-of-lying-is-nothing-else-but-not-to-be-trusted-of-any-nor-to/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [An anthology is like all the plums and orange peel picked out of a cake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/an-anthology-is-like-all-the-plums-and-orange-peel-picked-out-of-a/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [Corrupt seeds bring forth corrupt plants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/corrupt-seeds-bring-forth-corrupt-plants/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [No one can take less pains than to hold his tongue. Hear much, and speak little; for the tongue is the instrument of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/no-one-can-take-less-pains-than-to-hold-his-tongue-hear-much-and/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [In a word, we may gather out of History a policy no less wise than I eternal; by the comparison and application of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/in-a-word-we-may-gather-out-of-history-a-policy-no-less-wise-than-i/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [Romance is a love affair in other than domestic surroundings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/romance-is-a-love-affair-in-other-than-domestic-surroundings/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [Hath triumphed over time, which besides it nothing but eternity hath triumphed over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/hath-triumphed-over-time-which-besides-it-nothing-but-eternity-hath/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

[Explore all 116 Walter Raleigh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

## More Art quotes

> [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/)

[Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/)

> [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/)

[Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/)

> [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/)

[Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/)

> [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/)

[Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/)

> [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/)

Taf Teh

> [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/)

[Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/)

> [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/)

[Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/)

[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/)

> [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/)

[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/)

> [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/)

[Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/)

[Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There is nothing more becoming any wise man, than to make choice of friends, for by them thou shalt be judged what thou art: let them therefore be wise and virtuous, and none of those that follow thee for gain; but make election rather of thy betters, than thy inferiors.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Walter Raleigh"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/there-is-nothing-more-becoming-any-wise-man-than-to-make-choice-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Art"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/there-is-nothing-more-becoming-any-wise-man-than-to-make-choice-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/walter-raleigh-4068_art_there-is-nothing-more-becoming-any-wise_2833742.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/walter-raleigh-4068_art_there-is-nothing-more-becoming-any-wise_2833742.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/walter-raleigh-4068_art_there-is-nothing-more-becoming-any-wise_2833742.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There is nothing more becoming any wise man, than to make choice of friends, for by them thou shalt be…” — Walter Raleigh",
                "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": "Walter Raleigh",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There is nothing more becoming any...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/there-is-nothing-more-becoming-any-wise-man-than-to-make-choice-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/there-is-nothing-more-becoming-any-wise-man-than-to-make-choice-of/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
