Never have a companion that casts you in the shade.

“Never have a companion that casts you in the shade.” Thus spoke Baltasar Gracián, the Spanish philosopher and Jesuit sage of the seventeenth century — a master of subtle wisdom and worldly truth. His words, drawn from The Art of Worldly Wisdom, are as sharp as a blade and as timeless as sunlight. In this brief but powerful saying, Gracián warns the seeker of virtue and greatness to be mindful of his companions — for the company one keeps can either elevate the soul or eclipse it. To walk beside those who cast you in shadow is to lose sight of your own light.

Gracián lived in an age of courts and kings, where power and perception ruled as surely as truth and honor. He saw men rise and fall not only by their deeds, but by the circles they kept. To “cast you in the shade” meant not merely to outshine you, but to dominate your spirit — to make you small in your own eyes, to dim your self-worth beneath another’s brilliance. A true companion, he implies, does not overshadow, but illuminates; he walks beside you in balance, neither above nor beneath. Friendship, like the sun and the moon, must share the sky, each shining in its time.

This wisdom is not born of pride, but of self-preservation. For the heart, though noble, is delicate. When one lives too long under another’s shadow, one forgets the warmth of one’s own light. The ancients knew this well — even Aristotle, when speaking of friendship, said it must be “between equals in virtue.” To bind oneself to one far greater in spirit or power is to risk becoming an echo, not a voice. To choose a companion who dominates rather than inspires is to forfeit one’s freedom of soul. Therefore, Gracián’s counsel is not a call to vanity, but to dignity — to remember that every soul must have room to grow, to breathe, to shine.

History offers many tales that breathe life into this truth. Consider the story of Michelangelo and his rival Leonardo da Vinci, two giants of art whose brilliance lit Renaissance Italy. Leonardo, already famed, cast a long shadow over Florence. Yet Michelangelo, fierce and proud, refused to walk in that shade. He did not seek Leonardo’s approval, nor bend beneath his reputation. Instead, he carved his own path — literally from stone — and gave to the world the David, the Pietà, and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Had he chosen to stand in another man’s glow, his genius might have withered unseen. Thus, his life teaches what Gracián spoke: that one must honor others’ greatness without letting it eclipse one’s own.

Yet this wisdom also hides a gentler meaning. Not all shadows are born of malice. Sometimes, we remain beneath them out of love or loyalty — admiring another’s light so deeply that we forget our own. But even love must not imprison the soul. The companion who truly cares for you will never wish to cast you in shade, but will draw you into light beside them. True friendship, like fire shared from one torch to another, doubles its brightness without diminishing either flame.

Gracián’s warning, though sharp, invites reflection rather than rejection. He does not say “avoid greatness,” but “avoid the kind of greatness that consumes.” Seek companions whose presence strengthens rather than subdues, whose brilliance does not demand your silence, but inspires your song. Be wary of those whose pride grows from your humility, whose glory depends on your invisibility. To walk with equals — those who challenge you with respect and uplift you with sincerity — is to walk in true sunlight.

Therefore, my child, take this teaching to heart: choose your companions with care, for they shape not only your path but your reflection. Do not envy the light of others, nor dwell forever in their shadow. Stand beside them if they make you better; step away if they make you smaller. Let friendship be a mirror that reflects your worth, not a veil that conceals it. For life is short, and the soul’s flame fragile — it must not be hidden beneath the shadow of another’s pride.

And so, remember the wisdom of Baltasar Gracián: never have a companion that casts you in the shade, but seek those whose presence teaches you to shine brighter. Walk among equals in spirit, not in rank or fame, and together, your lights shall form constellations — bright enough to guide others through the darkness of the world.