Acquaintances

   If we could prove by statistics the number of acquaintances a man had fifty years ago, and those which the modern man has, the difference would be enormous. The tendency is everywhere to enlarge one's circle  ambitious people with discernment, but the foolish, blindly, without any interest  or inclination to guide them. I once heard a woman announce with pride, "I have 2,000 visits to make this winter." She flaunted this fact before her less favored friends, who had only 1,000 names on their visiting lists. Could there be anything more futile than this thirst for increasing one's bowing acquaintances? What useless ballast are these interminable lists, in which no place is left for  an hour's intelligent or affectionate discussion. The habit of going from drawing-room to drawing-room gives certain persons a style in conversation that is as flat as a well-drest stone, not one spontaneous word in it, not an angle, not a defined form! Dora Melegari, "Makers of Sorrow and Makers of Joy." 

So, it appears as though there has always been some version or another of twitter feeds or facebook friends? (grin)

• Assessing True Friendship