What does this mean to you ... just curious.?

Question

what does this mean to you....In the adversity of our best friends we find some thing that does not displease us--

by rochefoucautt

Answer 1

It means that much as we love our best friends, we take some pleasure in their misfortune - in German it's called Schadenfreude. There are, I think, many reasons why we feel this way -- many of us have shaky self esteem and take some guilty comfort in thinking that others aren't better than we are. If we are afraid of failure, death, ill health, I think there is a certain relief, however reluctant we are to acknowledge it, in thinking that misfortune has struck elsewhere this time, so maybe it will leave us alone, at least for now.

Answer 2

'In the adversity of our best friends' doesn't quite sound right at all. In the adversity of our friendship maybe...

It means you like to fight with each other.

And it also sounds harsh as if the fighting is the glue in your relationship.