--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are persons who cannot make…" description: "\"There are persons who cannot make friends. Who are they? Those who cannot be friends. It is not the want of understanding or good nature, of entertaini..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/william-hazlitt-326_friends_there-are-persons-who-cannot-make-friend_444581.jpg" --- # There are persons who cannot make friends. Who are they?… ![“There are persons who cannot make friends. Who are they? Those who cannot be friends. It is not the want of understanding or good nature, of entertaining or useful qualities, that you complain of: on the contrary, they have probably many points of attraction; but they have one that neutralizes all…” quote by William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/william-hazlitt-326_friends_there-are-persons-who-cannot-make-friend_444581.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/william-hazlitt-326_friends_there-are-persons-who-cannot-make-friend_444581.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/william-hazlitt-326_friends_there-are-persons-who-cannot-make-friend_444581.jpg) > “There are persons who cannot make friends. Who are they? Those who cannot be friends. It is not the want of understanding or good nature, of entertaining or useful qualities, that you complain of: on the contrary, they have probably many points of attraction; but they have one that neutralizes all these --they care nothing about you, and are neither the better nor worse for what you think of them. They manifest no joy at your approach; and when you leave them, it is with a feeling that they can do just as well without you. This is not sullenness, nor indifference, nor absence of mind; but they are intent solely on their own thoughts, and you are merely one of the subjects they exercise them upon. They live in society as in a solitude.” [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Some people are emotionally detached, showing indifference and self‑absorption, making genuine connection difficult. **In simple terms:** People can be indifferent and self‑focused, hindering friendships. Key Takeaway Recognize and respect emotional boundaries. Themes friendship indifference solitude empathy social dynamics Mood thoughtful detached analytical Type observational critical philosophical When to use this quote - workplace relationships - family gatherings - social events - online communities Key Concepts psychology self‑interest attachment theory Questions to Reflect On - Why might someone prioritize their own thoughts over others? - How can you engage without forcing connection? A Different Perspective Their self‑absorption may be a defense, not malice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Good nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-nature/) [Indifference Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indifference-absence-3891508/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Make Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-friends-284705/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Society Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society-solitude-648469/) [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) ## Related quotes > [Society than solitude is worse, And man to man is still the greatest curse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-letitia-barbauld/society-than-solitude-is-worse-and-man-to-man-is-still-the-greatest/) [Anna Letitia Barbauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-letitia-barbauld/) > [That which happens to the soil when it ceases to be cultivated by the social man happens to man himself when he foolishly forsakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-rivarol/that-which-happens-to-the-soil-when-it-ceases-to-be-cultivated-by-the/) [Antoine Rivarol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-rivarol/) > [The want of occupation is no less the plague of society than of solitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-want-of-occupation-is-no-less-the-plague-of-society-than-of/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“The man he was now, the personality his friends knew, had begun to grow strong during adolescence, during the years when he was always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/the-man-he-was-now-the-personality-his-friends-knew-had-begun-to-grow/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [When you make friends with fear, it can’t rule you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/when-you-make-friends-with-fear-it-can-t-rule-you/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Neither old people nor sour people seem to make friends easily; for there is little that is pleasant in them...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/neither-old-people-nor-sour-people-seem-to-make-friends-easily-for/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [I make friends with people really easily - that's one of my best qualities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-faustino/i-make-friends-with-people-really-easily-that-s-one-of-my-best/) [David Faustino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-faustino/) > [I'm not trying to make friends, I'm just trying to make money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/i-m-not-trying-to-make-friends-i-m-just-trying-to-make-money/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [A big part of why I wanted to go to college is to meet people and make friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-cosgrove/a-big-part-of-why-i-wanted-to-go-to-college-is-to-meet-people-and/) [Miranda Cosgrove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-cosgrove/) > [The discussing the characters and foibles of common friends is a great sweetness and cement of friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-discussing-the-characters-and-foibles-of-common-friends-is-a/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Protecting our wild and wonderful landscape is good for nature, good for tourism and good for West Virginia's economy and quality of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-justice/protecting-our-wild-and-wonderful-landscape-is-good-for-nature-good/) [Jim Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-justice/) > [Good nature is often a mere matter of health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/good-nature-is-often-a-mere-matter-of-health/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Mathematics are well and good but Nature keeps dragging us around by the nose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/mathematics-are-well-and-good-but-nature-keeps-dragging-us-around-by/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [How much wit, good-nature, indulgences, how many good offices and civilities, are required among friends to accomplish in some years what a lovely face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/how-much-wit-good-nature-indulgences-how-many-good-offices-and/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [There is no society or conversation to be kept up in the world without good-nature, or something which must bear its appearance and supply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/there-is-no-society-or-conversation-to-be-kept-up-in-the-world/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) ## More by William Hazlitt > [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-art-of-life-is-to-know-how-to-enjoy-a-little-and-to-endure-very/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [We are thankful for good-will rather than for services, for the motive than the quantum of favor received.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-are-thankful-for-good-will-rather-than-for-services-for-the-motive/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The discussing the characters and foibles of common friends is a great sweetness and cement of friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-discussing-the-characters-and-foibles-of-common-friends-is-a/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Want of principle is power. Truth and honesty set a limit to our efforts, which impudence and hypocrisy easily overleap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/want-of-principle-is-power-truth-and-honesty-set-a-limit-to-our/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Repose is as necessary in conversation as in a picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/repose-is-as-necessary-in-conversation-as-in-a-picture/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [No act terminating in itself constitutes greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/no-act-terminating-in-itself-constitutes-greatness/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Vice is man's nature: virtue is a habit--or a mask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/vice-is-man-s-nature-virtue-is-a-habit-or-a-mask/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [We never do anything well till we cease to think about the manner doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-never-do-anything-well-till-we-cease-to-think-about-the-manner/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-weeps-for-he-is-the-only/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Those who have had none of the cares of this life to harass and disturb them, have been obliged to have recourse to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/those-who-have-had-none-of-the-cares-of-this-life-to-harass-and/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Poverty, when it is voluntary, is never despicable, but takes an heroical aspect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/poverty-when-it-is-voluntary-is-never-despicable-but-takes-an/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [We are not satisfied to be right, unless we can prove others to be quite wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-are-not-satisfied-to-be-right-unless-we-can-prove-others-to-be/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The world judge of men by their ability in their profession, and we judge of ourselves by the same test: for it is on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-world-judge-of-men-by-their-ability-in-their-profession-and-we/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The best part of our lives we pass in counting on what is to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-best-part-of-our-lives-we-pass-in-counting-on-what-is-to-come/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) [Explore all 671 William Hazlitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) ## More Friends quotes > [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. It could just as easily have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/whatever-meaning-annie-s-song-had-for-me-on-a-personal-level-there/) [John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [Friends are like stars you can't always see them, but you know they're there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknwon/friends-are-like-stars-you-can-t-always-see-them-but-you-know-they-re/) [Unknwon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknwon/) > [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [“Light it up, bitch.' 'Light it up, asshole,' ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/light-it-up-bitch-light-it-up-asshole/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [In life, we never lose friends we only get to know who the true ones are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ace-kid/in-life-we-never-lose-friends-we-only-get-to-know-who-the-true-ones/) [Ace Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ace-kid/) > [I always bump into people that Ive met. Not great friends, but if I bump into somebody Ive known and I wont recognise them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-franchitti/i-always-bump-into-people-that-ive-met-not-great-friends-but-if-i/) [Dario Franchitti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-franchitti/) > [It's hard to be JUST FRIENDS with the ONE YOU LOVE when every time you look at that person, all you see is EVERYTHING…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-hard-to-be-just-friends-with-the-one-you-love-when-every-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [Family over friends, because real friends are family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/family-over-friends-because-real-friends-are-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [“Cops aren't really your friends, they are trying to be your friends but they are not… - They are searching evidence to PIN YOU.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deyth-banger/cops-aren-t-really-your-friends-they-are-trying-to-be-your-friends/) [Deyth Banger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deyth-banger/) > [“Don’t waste your time trying to explain yourself to people that are committed to misunderstanding you. Instead, commit your time to explaining who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-waste-your-time-trying-to-explain-yourself-to-people-that-are/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Back home I get to see my old friends!(: But they don't understand the change in me and I can't explain it to them...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/back-home-i-get-to-see-my-old-friends-but-they-don-t-understand-the/) [Jade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade/) [Browse all 13,428 Friends quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are persons who cannot make friends. Who are they? Those who cannot be friends. It is not the want of understanding or good nature, of entertaining or useful qualities, that you complain of: on the contrary, they have probably many points of attraction; but they have one that neutralizes all these --they care nothing about you, and are neither the better nor worse for what you think of them. They manifest no joy at your approach; and when you leave them, it is with a feeling that they can do just as well without you. This is not sullenness, nor indifference, nor absence of mind; but they are intent solely on their own thoughts, and you are merely one of the subjects they exercise them upon. They live in society as in a solitude.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Hazlitt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/there-are-persons-who-cannot-make-friends-who-are-they-those-who/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Friends" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/there-are-persons-who-cannot-make-friends-who-are-they-those-who/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/william-hazlitt-326_friends_there-are-persons-who-cannot-make-friend_444581.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/william-hazlitt-326_friends_there-are-persons-who-cannot-make-friend_444581.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/william-hazlitt-326_friends_there-are-persons-who-cannot-make-friend_444581.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are persons who cannot make friends. Who are they? Those who cannot be friends. It is not the want of…” — William Hazlitt", "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 Hazlitt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There are persons who cannot make...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/there-are-persons-who-cannot-make-friends-who-are-they-those-who/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/there-are-persons-who-cannot-make-friends-who-are-they-those-who/#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 } } ] } ```