HKB
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Often appears with: self-love · marriage and betrothal · friendship through mutual fault · friendship and loyalty · folly as social glue · flattery and deceit
Usually: speech or oration (1) · deception discovered (1) · detachment (1) · irony (1)
“For what is it when one kisses his mistress' freckle neck, another the wart on her nose? When a father shall swear his squint-eyed child is more lovely than Venus? What is this, I say, but mere folly? And so, perhaps you'll cry it is; and yet 'tis this only that joins friends together and continues them so joined.” Desiderius Erasmus, The Praise of Folly · insight
Folly claims friendship and matrimony depend on overlooking faults and admiring imperfections, arguing that mutual “blindness” and Self-love glue relationships together and avoid jealousy.
did not deserve the name of life; and other than such it could not well be, did not these kind of diversions wipe away tediousness, next cousin to the other. But perhaps there are some that neglect this way of pleasure and rest satisfied in the enjoyment of their friends, calling friendship the most desirable of all things, more necessary than either air, fire, or water; so delectable that he that shall take it out …