---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would not enter on my list of friends…"
description: "\"I would not enter on my list of friends (Though graced with polished manners and fine sense, Yet wanting sensibility) the man Who needlessly sets foot ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/william-cowper-779_animal-rights_i-would-not-enter-on-my-list-of-friends_2080983.png"
---

#  I would not enter on my list of friends (Though graced…

![“I would not enter on my list of friends (Though graced with polished manners and fine sense, Yet wanting sensibility) the man Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm.” quote by William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/william-cowper-779_animal-rights_i-would-not-enter-on-my-list-of-friends_2080983.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/william-cowper-779_animal-rights_i-would-not-enter-on-my-list-of-friends_2080983.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/william-cowper-779_animal-rights_i-would-not-enter-on-my-list-of-friends_2080983.png)

> “I would not enter on my list of friends (Though graced with polished manners and fine sense, Yet wanting sensibility) the man Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm.”

[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.

A person who harms the vulnerable, even subtly, lacks true sensibility and should not be considered a friend.

**In simple terms:** Harming the weak shows insensitivity.

Key Takeaway

Avoid harming the vulnerable.

Themes

ethics compassion friendship

Mood

somber thoughtful

Type

ethical literary

When to use this quote

- social activism
- personal relationships
- community service

Key Concepts

moral philosophy human dignity

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you define true compassion?
- What actions show respect for the weak?

A Different Perspective

May be overly judgmental.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Manners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manners/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [New friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-friends/) [New friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-friendship/) [Real friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-friends/) [Sensibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensibility/)

## Related quotes

> [You Too? I thought I was the only one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/you-too-i-thought-i-was-the-only-one/)

[C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/)

> [Now with my friend I desire not to share or participate, but to engross his sorrows, that, by making them mine own, I may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/now-with-my-friend-i-desire-not-to-share-or-participate-but-to/)

[Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/)

> [I might give my life for my friend, but he had better not ask me to do up a parcel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-pearsall-smith/i-might-give-my-life-for-my-friend-but-he-had-better-not-ask-me-to-do/)

[Logan Pearsall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-pearsall-smith/)

> [He who does not see the whole world in his friends, does not deserve that the world should hear of him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/he-who-does-not-see-the-whole-world-in-his-friends-does-not-deserve/)

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

> [I have loved my friends as I do virtue, my soul, my God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/i-have-loved-my-friends-as-i-do-virtue-my-soul-my-god/)

[Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/)

> [Friends make life a lot more fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-swindoll/friends-make-life-a-lot-more-fun/)

[Charles R. Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-swindoll/)

> [The only thing I collect is art. I collect it because I like looking at it. A lot of it is really personal stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hanna/the-only-thing-i-collect-is-art-i-collect-it-because-i-like-looking/)

[Kathleen Hanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hanna/)

> [At this time I choseas friends two little girls of my own age; but how shallow are the hearts of creatures! Oneof them had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-of-lisieux/at-this-time-i-choseas-friends-two-little-girls-of-my-own-age-but-how/)

[Therese of Lisieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-of-lisieux/)

> [I used to want to be a war photographer, and I used to want to be a ballerina and a comedian. I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-power/i-used-to-want-to-be-a-war-photographer-and-i-used-to-want-to-be-a/)

[Cat Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-power/)

> [Actually, my friendships are changing because my friends have kids, so that's a new aspect to the material. Not just that I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-kirkman/actually-my-friendships-are-changing-because-my-friends-have-kids-so/)

[Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-kirkman/)

> [How many slams in an old screen door? Depends how loud you shut it. How many slices in a bread? Depends how thin you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-klein/how-many-slams-in-an-old-screen-door-depends-how-loud-you-shut-it-how/)

[Stephanie Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-klein/)

> [I am already kindly disposed towards you. My friendship it is not in my power to give: this is a gift which no man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/i-am-already-kindly-disposed-towards-you-my-friendship-it-is-not-in/)

[William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/)

> [Sometimes it's difficult maintaining my friendships, but to me, it's well worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/sometimes-it-s-difficult-maintaining-my-friendships-but-to-me-it-s/)

[Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/)

> [Over the last few days, I have been able to see my life as from a great altitude, as a sort of landscape, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver/over-the-last-few-days-i-have-been-able-to-see-my-life-as-from-a/)

Oliver $

> [I love Karrueche very much but I don't want to see her hurt over my friendship with Rihanna, i'd rather be single allowing us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brown/i-love-karrueche-very-much-but-i-don-t-want-to-see-her-hurt-over-my/)

[Chris Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brown/)

## 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 Animal - rights quotes

> [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/)

[Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/)

> [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/)

[Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/)

> [I hold flesh-food to be unsuited to our species. We err in copying the lower animal world if we are superior to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-hold-flesh-food-to-be-unsuited-to-our-species-we-err-in-copying-the/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-love-for-all-living-creatures-is-the-most-noble-attribute-of-man/)

[Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/)

> [When I was in my teens I had a series of intensely religious experiences. They deepened my sense of God as the creator of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-linzey/when-i-was-in-my-teens-i-had-a-series-of-intensely-religious/)

[Andrew Linzey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-linzey/)

> [I think I could always live with animals. The more you're around people, the more you love animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/i-think-i-could-always-live-with-animals-the-more-you-re-around/)

[Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/)

> [“Poor animals, how jealously they guard their bodies, for to us is merely an evening’s meal, but to them is life itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-casey-brennan/poor-animals-how-jealously-they-guard-their-bodies-for-to-us-is/)

T. Casey Brennan

> [My life is a tsunami of inspirations. Number one is that I really do just love my BBQ. I mean it's the sustenance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/my-life-is-a-tsunami-of-inspirations-number-one-is-that-i-really-do/)

[Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/)

> [Humans — who enslave, castrate, experiment on, and fillet other animals — have had an understandable penchant for pretending animals do not feel pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/humans-who-enslave-castrate-experiment-on-and-fillet-other-animals/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [“The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimitri-merejkowski/the-time-will-come-when-men-such-as-i-will-look-upon-the-murder-of/)

Dimitri Merejkowski

> [It won't ruin our movement if someone gets killed in an animal rights action. It's going to happen sooner or later. The Animal Liberation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-vlasak/it-won-t-ruin-our-movement-if-someone-gets-killed-in-an-animal-rights/)

[Jerry Vlasak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-vlasak/)

> [The Bible's emphasis is on the good treatment of animals, and not just the forbidding of cruel treatment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-bible-s-emphasis-is-on-the-good-treatment-of-animals-and-not-just/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [“The future of wildlife and the habitat that they depend on is being destroyed. It is time to make nature and all the beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-oxton/the-future-of-wildlife-and-the-habitat-that-they-depend-on-is-being/)

[Paul Oxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-oxton/)

> [“Who’s gonna bring the wild animals some hope? If we don’t love them the way they are..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/munia-khan/who-s-gonna-bring-the-wild-animals-some-hope-if-we-don-t-love-them/)

[Munia Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/munia-khan/)

> [An old philosopher said to Monsieur Coignard, a Reverend Father: 'You are a pig!' To which Abad Coignard answered: 'You flatter me, sir. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/an-old-philosopher-said-to-monsieur-coignard-a-reverend-father-you/)

[Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/)

Browse all 631 Animal - rights quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I would not enter on my list of friends (Though graced with polished manners and fine sense, Yet wanting sensibility) the man Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Cowper"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/i-would-not-enter-on-my-list-of-friends-though-graced-with-polished/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Animal - rights"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/i-would-not-enter-on-my-list-of-friends-though-graced-with-polished/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/william-cowper-779_animal-rights_i-would-not-enter-on-my-list-of-friends_2080983.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/william-cowper-779_animal-rights_i-would-not-enter-on-my-list-of-friends_2080983.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/william-cowper-779_animal-rights_i-would-not-enter-on-my-list-of-friends_2080983.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I would not enter on my list of friends (Though graced with polished manners and fine sense, Yet wanting…” — 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": "I would not enter on my...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/i-would-not-enter-on-my-list-of-friends-though-graced-with-polished/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/i-would-not-enter-on-my-list-of-friends-though-graced-with-polished/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
