One friend in a lifetime is much two are many three are hardly possible. Friendship needs a certain parallelism of life a community of thought a rivalry of aim.

Few would argue that Richard Dawkins is the world's most famous atheist especially now that his friend and rival for the title Christopher Hitchens has now gone to meet his Maker.

That someone like Obama could be elected president of the United States - with its unrivaled power and prestige - has begun to restore the country's and the world's faith in America as the land of opportunity.

Feeling is the consciousness of the resulting conditions - of success failure equilibrium compromise or balance in this continuous rivalry of ideas.

One's only rival is one's own potentialities. One's only failure is failing to live up to one's own possibilities. In this sense every man can be a king and must therefore be treated like a king.

Experience has shown how deeply the seeds of war are planted by economic rivalry and social injustice.

When I started writing I did have some idealised notion of my dad as a writer. But I have less and less of a literary rivalry with him as I've gone on. I certainly don't feel I need his approval although maybe that's because I'm confident that I've got it.

Climate change was a point of division between Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney. The president declared climate change a global threat acknowledged that the actions of humanity were deepening the crisis and pledged to do something about it if elected.

The heart of the jealous knows the best and most satisfying love that of the other's bed where the rival perfects the lover's imperfections.

Wisdom I know is social. She seeks her fellows. But Beauty is jealous and illy bears the presence of a rival.