Of the Imitation of Christ/Book I/Chapter VIII
CHAPTER VIII.
OF TOO MUCH FAMILIARITY.
AY not thy heart open to every one, but treat of thy affairs with the wise, and such as fear God.
Converse not much with the young, nor with strangers.
Flatter not the rich; neither do thou appear willingly before the great.
Keep company with the humble, with the devout, and with the virtuous; and confer with them of things that edify. Be not familiar with any woman; but commend all good women in general to God.
Desire to be familiar with God alone and His Angels, and avoid the acquaintance of men.
2. We must have love towards all, but familiarity with all is not expedient.
Sometimes it falleth out, that a person unknown to us is much esteemed, from good report; but whose presence notwithstanding is not grateful to the eyes of those who see him.
We think sometimes to please others by our society, but we rather displease them with those bad qualities which they discover in us.