“Have no friends who are not your equals” – Confucius

I ran into this quote yesterday on Facebook and I’ve been mulling it over, trying to figure out what it means, or at least what it might mean to me.

On the one hand it can mean don’t be friends with people who are above you or beneath you as far as social station or other factors. Or it can also mean not to treat your friends as if you are superior or inferior to them.

As a mere mortal such as I am I find myself sometimes distinguishing among the people that I know. Some of the people that I know are acquaintances but not friends in the true sense of the word. I can be friendly with acquaintances without divulging all of my secrets.

I’m still not entire sure as to take the quote, but I’m going to let it simmer some more.