Daily Inspiration Quote by W. Somerset Maugham

A nice personality is social lubricant; character is the load-bearing beam. Maugham, a playwright who made a career of watching people perform versions of themselves, is warning you not to confuse charm with moral substance. “Short-changed” is the telling phrase: friendship is framed as a transaction where the shiny surface can trick you into overpaying. Personality dazzles in the first act. Character is what shows up after intermission, when things get inconvenient, reputations get messy, or loyalty becomes costly.

The intent is less etiquette than self-defense. Maugham lived among social climbers, glittering salons, and the professionalized art of being delightful. In that world, personality can be a kind of currency, and the most likable person in the room may be the least reliable when the bill comes due. He’s not arguing against wit, warmth, or charisma; he’s arguing against letting those qualities serve as a substitute for integrity. The subtext: if you pick friends the way you pick party guests, you’ll end up with a great evening and a fragile life.

As a playwright, Maugham knew that personality is often a role, even when the actor believes it. Character, by contrast, is what persists when no audience is watching. The line carries a quietly cynical insight: people will sell you their best self up front. Friendship is the long game, and Maugham is advising you to invest in the part of someone that can’t be faked forever.