Philia Quotes

“When we claim and constantly reclaim the truth of being the chosen ones, we soon discover within ourselves a deep desire to reveal to others their own chosenness. Instead of making us feel that we are better, more precious or valuable than others, our awareness of being chosen opens our eyes to the chosenness of others. That is the great joy of being chosen: the discovery that others are chosen as well. In the house of God there are many mansions. There is a place for everyone - a unique, special place. Once we deeply trust that we ourselves are precious in God's eyes, we are able to recognize the preciousness of others and their unique places in God's heart.”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World

“I'd felt certain of his eros in the months before this unsterile kiss, but perhaps some small and niggling part of me had believed it pity or forbearance, that his medieval virtues compelled him to love me in my dying. But non! It was this wink of time when I whorled toward understanding, into and resting in the arms of love we shared--an uncommon and vulnerable combination of the four loves we'd traveled with and toward: agape, storge, philia, and now, unquestionably, eros. Our journey--riddled with both pain and joy--culminated in a kiss I would never have anticipated as the revelation it became, as the comfort and mastery of love.”
― Patti Callahan, Becoming Mrs. Lewis

“The Greeks have three words for love, and that night we knew them all.”
― Luna McNamara, Psyche and Eros

“His death is ruin for us all, especially me, since I will never have so kind a master, however far I go, not even if I go back to the home of my own parents who gave me birth and brought me up. I wish that I could see them, in my native land. But I grieve less for my own family than for Odysseus. I miss him so. I hesitate to call him by his name, stranger: I would prefer to call him ‘brother,’ even when he is far away, because he loved and cared for me with so much kindness.”
― Homer (trans. Emily Wilson)

“Sounds like quite a man, this master of yours. Who is he?” “Quite a man? Yes, he’s quite a man. No … you know what? He’s not a man, Odysseus, he’s men. A son, a father, a husband. Well, that’s not unusual, of course. He’s a king. Wise and fair. Judges and rules with solemn justice. But he’s a builder too. Planned and put together his palace almost single-handed. He’s a sailor. I’ve seen him pull on two sail ropes, one with each foot, steering with his elbow on the tiller, and using his hands to whittle a musical pipe. He can tend the flocks and herds as well as I or any countryman. He’s a warrior. Hand to hand, he wrestles like Theseus. Can throw a man three times his weight. The best bowman you ever saw. Shoots like Apollo. Never saw a swordsman his equal either. He can throw a spear farther than anyone. Speaks the tongues of distant lands as if he were born there. And the wit of him, the cunning … ah …” Eumaeus tapped the side of his head. “In there, he has a mind the equal of Hermes for mischief, and of Athena for wisdom. I don’t know where his ideas come from. He can …”
― Stephen Fry, Odyssey