---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As if the world and they were hand and…"
description: "\"As if the world and they were hand and glove.\" — William Cowper"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/william-cowper-779_glove_as-if-the-world-and-they-were-hand-and-g_866756.png"
---

#  As if the world and they were hand and glove.

![“As if the world and they were hand and glove.” quote by William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/william-cowper-779_glove_as-if-the-world-and-they-were-hand-and-g_866756.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/william-cowper-779_glove_as-if-the-world-and-they-were-hand-and-g_866756.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/william-cowper-779_glove_as-if-the-world-and-they-were-hand-and-g_866756.png)

> “As if the world and they were hand and glove.”

[William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/)

## About This Quote

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

The quote likens people to matching gloves, emphasizing natural compatibility and interdependence.

**In simple terms:** People fit together naturally.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and value complementary relationships.

Themes

compatibility interdependence relationships

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

aphilosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- teamwork
- friendship
- partnerships

Key Concepts

social harmony mutual support

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you nurture complementary partnerships?
- When might similarity hinder growth?

A Different Perspective

Compatibility may overlook individual differences.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Hypocrisy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrisy/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [For every hand there's a glove. For every, for every heart there should be love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-temptations/for-every-hand-there-s-a-glove-for-every-for-every-heart-there-should/)

[The Temptations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-temptations/)

> [“The very feel of her hand, even through its glove, was reassuring; it was the sort of hand, he thought, that children would like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-von-arnim/the-very-feel-of-her-hand-even-through-its-glove-was-reassuring-it/)

[Elizabeth von Arnim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-von-arnim/)

> [I have a glove. I'll play anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cabrera/i-have-a-glove-i-ll-play-anywhere/)

[Miguel Cabrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-cabrera/)

> [The lost glove is happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/the-lost-glove-is-happy/)

[Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/)

> [A Gold Glove would be one of the things I would really cherish. When I was younger, I was always smaller. I couldn't hit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-zimmerman/a-gold-glove-would-be-one-of-the-things-i-would-really-cherish-when-i/)

[Ryan Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-zimmerman/)

> [When you're in a slump, it's almost as if you look out at the field and it's one big glove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-law/when-you-re-in-a-slump-it-s-almost-as-if-you-look-out-at-the-field/)

Vance Law

> [There's no difference between me and you. You need something, a glove, a place to live, you let me know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/there-s-no-difference-between-me-and-you-you-need-something-a-glove-a/)

[Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/)

> [He is an old glove, but he looked like the old Glove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/he-is-an-old-glove-but-he-looked-like-the-old-glove/)

[Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/)

> [I'm a big glove hoarder. If I have gloves, I like to hoard them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/i-m-a-big-glove-hoarder-if-i-have-gloves-i-like-to-hoard-them/)

[Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/)

> [I have played professional baseball for over half my life. From the time I picked up a baseball glove, I did not want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-williams/i-have-played-professional-baseball-for-over-half-my-life-from-the/)

[Bernie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-williams/)

> [I didn't teach you that. Catch the ball with your glove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/i-didn-t-teach-you-that-catch-the-ball-with-your-glove/)

[Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/)

> [I grew up on the softball field. Every day I would take my glove and my bat with me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoenis-cespedes/i-grew-up-on-the-softball-field-every-day-i-would-take-my-glove-and/)

[Yoenis Cespedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoenis-cespedes/)

> [A glove is a very literal looking hand puppet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/a-glove-is-a-very-literal-looking-hand-puppet/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [I feel like I got a good jump on the ball. I turned my head and picked a spot out to run to. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trot-nixon/i-feel-like-i-got-a-good-jump-on-the-ball-i-turned-my-head-and-picked/)

Trot Nixon

> [Watch Darren Daulton use his mitt like a glove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-mccarver/watch-darren-daulton-use-his-mitt-like-a-glove/)

[Tim McCarver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-mccarver/)

## More by William Cowper

> [And hast thou sworn on every slight pretence, Till perjuries are common as bad pence, While thousands, careless of the damning sin, Kiss the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/and-hast-thou-sworn-on-every-slight-pretence-till-perjuries-are/)

[William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/)

> [No wild enthusiast could rest, till half the world like him was possessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/no-wild-enthusiast-could-rest-till-half-the-world-like-him-was/)

[William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/)

> [Admirals extolled for standing still, or doing nothing with a deal of skill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/admirals-extolled-for-standing-still-or-doing-nothing-with-a-deal-of/)

[William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/)

> [“The good we never miss we rarely prize”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/the-good-we-never-miss-we-rarely-prize/)

[William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/)

> [Thus happiness depends, as nature shows, less on exterior things than most suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/thus-happiness-depends-as-nature-shows-less-on-exterior-things-than/)

[William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/)

> [Stamps God's own name upon a lie just made, To turn a penny in the way of trade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/stamps-god-s-own-name-upon-a-lie-just-made-to-turn-a-penny-in-the-way/)

[William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/)

> [But oars alone can ne'er prevail To reach the distant coast; The breath of Heaven must swell the sail, Or all the toil is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/but-oars-alone-can-ne-er-prevail-to-reach-the-distant-coast-the/)

[William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/)

> [“Nature is but a name for an effect whose cause is God"...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/nature-is-but-a-name-for-an-effect-whose-cause-is-god/)

[William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/)

> [But conversation, choose what theme we may, And chiefly when religion leads the way, Should flow, like waters after summer show'rs, Not as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/but-conversation-choose-what-theme-we-may-and-chiefly-when-religion/)

[William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/)

> [Remorse, the fatal egg that pleasure laid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/remorse-the-fatal-egg-that-pleasure-laid/)

[William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/)

> [“When we don't pray, we quit the fight. Prayer keeps the Christian's armor bright. And Satan trembles when he sees. The weakest saint upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/when-we-don-t-pray-we-quit-the-fight-prayer-keeps-the-christian-s/)

[William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/)

> [But animated nature sweeter still, to soothe and satisfy the human ear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/but-animated-nature-sweeter-still-to-soothe-and-satisfy-the-human-ear/)

[William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/)

> [A fretful temper will divide the closest knot that may be tied, by ceaseless sharp corrosion; a temper passionate and fierce may suddenly your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/a-fretful-temper-will-divide-the-closest-knot-that-may-be-tied-by/)

[William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/)

> [Ten thousand casks, Forever dribbling out their base contents, Touch'd by the Midas finger of the state, Bleed gold for ministers to sport away.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/ten-thousand-casks-forever-dribbling-out-their-base-contents-touch-d/)

[William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/)

> [The art of poetry is to touch the passions, and its duty to lead them on the side of virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/the-art-of-poetry-is-to-touch-the-passions-and-its-duty-to-lead-them/)

[William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/)

[Explore all 371 William Cowper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/)

## More Glove quotes

> [To some people the limp glove, the smelly shoes, and the sturdy bat is just a game. But to me, it is te way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/savannah-j/to-some-people-the-limp-glove-the-smelly-shoes-and-the-sturdy-bat-is/)

[Savannah J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/savannah-j/)

> [“Good ink, good parchment, precious time - and all for the sake of a mouse in a glove.” Cian Brydydd Mawr smiled tenderly at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-lupton/good-ink-good-parchment-precious-time-and-all-for-the-sake-of-a-mouse/)

Hugh Lupton

> [Watch Darren Daulton use his mitt like a glove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-mccarver/watch-darren-daulton-use-his-mitt-like-a-glove/)

[Tim McCarver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-mccarver/)

> [I'm not very good in the rain. I don't wear a golf glove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-couples/i-m-not-very-good-in-the-rain-i-don-t-wear-a-golf-glove/)

[Fred Couples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-couples/)

> [Any glove I get, I keep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/any-glove-i-get-i-keep/)

[Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/)

> [I wear a composite non-stick glove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-olsen/i-wear-a-composite-non-stick-glove/)

[Greg Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-olsen/)

> [The kids started teasing me to get me to swear in Italian. Two or three months, I started retaliating. I found out I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-zamperini/the-kids-started-teasing-me-to-get-me-to-swear-in-italian-two-or/)

[Louis Zamperini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-zamperini/)

> [I feel like I got a good jump on the ball. I turned my head and picked a spot out to run to. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trot-nixon/i-feel-like-i-got-a-good-jump-on-the-ball-i-turned-my-head-and-picked/)

Trot Nixon

> [For every hand there's a glove. For every, for every heart there should be love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-temptations/for-every-hand-there-s-a-glove-for-every-for-every-heart-there-should/)

[The Temptations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-temptations/)

> [A pure hand needs no glove to cover it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/a-pure-hand-needs-no-glove-to-cover-it/)

[Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/)

> [A glove is a very literal looking hand puppet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/a-glove-is-a-very-literal-looking-hand-puppet/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [I grew up on the softball field. Every day I would take my glove and my bat with me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoenis-cespedes/i-grew-up-on-the-softball-field-every-day-i-would-take-my-glove-and/)

[Yoenis Cespedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoenis-cespedes/)

> [“What’s in a glove? And for that matter, where might a glove have been, or gone, and to what future did all these worn-out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-baldwin/what-s-in-a-glove-and-for-that-matter-where-might-a-glove-have-been/)

Chris Baldwin

> [Parallels between classical and pop are not new. The whole San Francisco movement of John Cage and Terry Riley went hand in glove with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hazlewood/parallels-between-classical-and-pop-are-not-new-the-whole-san/)

[Charles Hazlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-hazlewood/)

> [Oh, a Gold Glove. That's what I want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-ramirez/oh-a-gold-glove-that-s-what-i-want/)

[Manny Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-ramirez/)

Browse all 79 Glove quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "As if the world and they were hand and glove.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Cowper"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/as-if-the-world-and-they-were-hand-and-glove/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Glove"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/as-if-the-world-and-they-were-hand-and-glove/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/william-cowper-779_glove_as-if-the-world-and-they-were-hand-and-g_866756.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/william-cowper-779_glove_as-if-the-world-and-they-were-hand-and-g_866756.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/william-cowper-779_glove_as-if-the-world-and-they-were-hand-and-g_866756.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“As if the world and they were hand and glove.” — William Cowper",
                "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": "William Cowper",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "As if the world and they...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/as-if-the-world-and-they-were-hand-and-glove/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/as-if-the-world-and-they-were-hand-and-glove/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
