Friendship

Friendship was something fundamental for Leopardi, and despite what is commonly thought his life was one of profound amicable relationships: starting with his brother Carlo, his great friend Giordani, not to mention his “Tuscan friends”, and Antonio Ranieri, numerous were the men (and women) with whom Leopardi had longstanding and profound relationships, both personal and by letter.

He recalls this sentiment often in his works as well: suffice it to recall the Pensieri, and the flattering mention of his friend Ranieri it contains. His reflections on this theme in the Zibaldone are for the most connected to his own personal experience:

Friendship is difficult in modern times, and it is “less likely for there to be friendship between two youths than between one youth and a man who already knows the world, and is despairing of his own happiness” (as was the case with Leopardi and  Pietro Giordani) [104] – “he who has despaired of himself or, for whatever reason, loves himself less strongly, is less envious, hates his fellows less, and is thus more susceptible to friendship ... He who the more loves himself less can he love” [1723] – friendship between brothers “rarely does it survive the moment they enter the world” [2682-3] – weak people simulate friendship in order to obtain favours from others [3280] – some young people do not want friends but enemies, “because their natural state is the state of war” [3942-4, 4482] – Leopardi on the whole kept up the friendships he made, “coping with very difficult people”: because “I am never disgusted by a friend for his negligence ... except for when I see clearly ... in him a desire and determined will to displease and offend me. Something that is in truth rare ” [4274] – “I say not Pilates, but sincere and cordial friendship  one can find in the world, and it is not rare” [4523].