"Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder"

I found Hazlitt's perspective on distance a stimulating topic. He contends that while places and objects seem to grow more favorable as a result of distance, the opposite is actually the case for our acquaintances. This seems to run counter to many of the present-day suppositions about distance between individuals. As the trite saying expresses, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." Hazlitt seems to disagree with this common aphorism. He comes from a philosophical and psychological background which lends a degree of ethos to his assertions, but I'm not sure if I agree with his contention in this case. In my opinion, when an acquaintance, loved one, or someone of the like is separated from you, you remember their positive qualities and what you miss most about them in their absence. The strain that separation puts on the relationship is not further intensified by emphatically doting on their negative qualities. I wonder if Hazlitt experienced some kind of family-related or romantic engagement or circumstance that has led him to foster this perspective.