For when a man's confidence in himself is greatest, when he is so fortified by virtue and wisdom as to want nothing and to feel absolutely self-dependent, it is then that he is most conspicuous for seeking out and keeping up friendships.
Challenging the notion that friendship stems from need, Cicero asserts that the most virtuous and self-reliant individuals are often the most dedicated to forming and maintaining friendships.
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Don't you think that the soul which has the clearer and longer sight sees that it is starting for better things, while the soul whose vision is dimmer does not see it?
I don't wish to depreciate life, as many men and good philosophers have often done; nor do I regret having lived, for I have done so in a way that lets me think that I was not born in vain.
Again, is there not the fact that the wisest man ever dies with the greatest cheerfulness, the most unwise with the least?
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