Be true to your word your friends and yourself

All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.
Martin Luther King Jr.

Все люди спутаны неотвратимой сетью взаимозависимости.
Мартин Лютер Кинг младший.

A friend is a second self.
Aristotle

Друг — это твое второе «я».
Аристотель

Misfortune shows those who are not really friends.
Aristotle

В бедности и других жизненных несчастьях настоящие друзья — это надежное прибежище.
Аристотель

I esteem myself happy to have as great an ally as you in my search for truth.
Galileo Galilei

Я почитаю себя счастливым оттого, что у меня есть такие союзники, как вы, пока я в поисках истины.
Галилео Галилей

We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Нас никогда не обманывают, мы обманываемся сами.
Гёте

The senses deceive from time to time, and it is prudent never to trust wholly those who have deceived us even once.
Rene Descartes

Чувства нас время от времени обманывают и важно не доверять людям, которые нас хоть раз предавали.
Рене Декарт

To know what people really think, pay attention to what they do, rather than what they say.
Rene Descartes

Для того чтобы знать, что люди действительно думают, обращайте больше внимание на то, что они делают, нежели на то, что они говорят.
Рене Декарт

My idea of an agreeable person is a person who agrees with me.
Benjamin Disraeli

Нам нравятся люди, которые соглашаются с нами.
Бенджамин Дизраэли

The men who learn endurance, are they who call the whole world brother.
Charles Dickens

Люди, научившиеся терпимости, могут смело называть весь мир братьями.
Чарльз Диккенс

Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.
John F. Kennedy

Прощайте ваших врагов, но никогда не забывайте их имена.
Джон Кеннеди

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
Martin Luther King Jr.

В конце концов, мы будем помнить не слова наших врагов, а молчание наших друзей.
Мартин Лютер Кинг

The good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human and, therefore, brothers.
Martin Luther King Jr.

Хороший друг не обращает внимания на внешние случайности и осознает те внутренние качества, которые делают всех людей людьми, а потому и братьями.
Мартин Лютер Кинг

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.
Martin Luther King Jr.

Мы должны научиться жить вместе как братья, либо погибнуть вместе, как дураки.
Мартин Лютер Кинг

Have no friends not equal to yourself.
Confucius

Не заводите себе неравных друзей.
Конфуций

What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.
Confucius

Не делай другому того, чего себе не пожелаешь…
Конфуций

If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend.
Abraham Lincoln

Если вы хотите выиграть у человека в каком-то деле, сначала убедите его, что вы его искренний друг.
Авраам Линкольн

The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Умный человек должен быть в состоянии не только любить своих врагов, но и ненавидеть своих друзей.
Фридриха Ницше

Friends have all things in common.
Plato

У друзей все вещи общие.
Платон

Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults.
Socrates

Друзья не те, кто хвалит все твои слова и поступки, а те, кто любезно обличил твои недостатки.
Сократ

The good befriend themselves.
Sophocles

Друзей выбирают по интересам.
Софокл

An enemy can partly ruin a man, but it takes a good-natured injudicious friend to complete the thing and make it perfect.
Mark Twain

Враг может частично разрушить человека, но только очень добрый, незаменимый друг может довести его дело до конца.
Марк Твен

It takes your enemy and your friend, working together, to hurt you: the one to slander you, and the other to get the news to you.
Mark Twain

Чтобы поразить вас в самое сердце, нужны совместные усилия вашего врага и вашего друга: один чернит вас, а другой передает вам его слова.
Марк Твен

Be true to your work, your word, and your friend.
Henry David Thoreau

Будьте верны вашей работе, вашему слову, и вашему другу.
Генри Дэвид Торо

In what concerns you much, do not think that you have companions: know that you are alone in the world.
Henry David Thoreau

В том, что касается непосредственно вас, не думайте, что у вас есть компаньоны. Знайте, что вы одиноки в этом мире.
Генри Дэвид Торо

My friend is one… who takes me for what I am.
Henry David Thoreau

Мой друг это тот… кто принимает меня таким, какой я есть.
Генри Дэвид Торо

Anybody can sympathise with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathise with a friend’s success.
Oscar Wilde

Каждый может сочувствовать страданиям друга, однако только поистине утонченным натурам дано сочувствовать успеху друга.
Оскар Уайльд

I always like to know everything about my new friends, and nothing about my old ones.
Oscar Wilde

Я всегда хотел знать все о моих новых друзьях, и ничего о моих старых.
Оскар Уайльд

One can always be kind to people about whom one cares nothing.
Oscar Wilde

Легко вести себя дружески с тем, кто тебе безразличен.
Оскар Уайльд

Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none.
Benjamin Franklin

Будь вежлив со всеми, общителен с многими, фамильярен с некоторыми, дружен с одним, врагом — никому.
Бенджамин Франклин

Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.
Benjamin Franklin

Выбирай друга не спеша, еще меньше торопись променять его.
Бенджамин Франклин

A friend is, as it were, a second self.
Cicero

Друг, это как второе «я».
Цицерон

Friendship make prosperity more shining and lessens adversity by dividing and sharing it. Endless money forms the sinews of war.
Cicero

Дружба укрепляет процветание и уменьшает невзгоды, когда мы делимся. Но слишком много денег — это основа для войны.
Цицерон

He removes the greatest ornament of friendship, who takes away from it respect.
Cicero

Отсутствием уважения можно испортить дружбу.
Цицерон

One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.
Euripides

Один близкий друг стоит десяти тысяч родственников.
Эврипид

Friendship isn’t a big thing — it’s a million little things.
Mark Twain

Дружба – это не что-то одно большое — это множество мелочей.
Марк Твен

The only unsinkable ship is friendSHIP.
Cicero

Только непотопляемый корабль может называться дружбой.
Марк Туллий Цицерон

Only your real friends tell you when your face is dirty.
Emily Dickinson

Только настоящие друзья скажут тебе, что твое лицо грязное.
Эмили Диккинсон

It is better to be in chains with friends, than to be in a garden with strangers.
Henry Adams

Лучше быть в цепях с друзьями, чем в саду с незнакомцами.
Генри Адамс

One friend in a lifetime is much; two are many; three are hardly possible.
Aristotle

Один друг в жизни – это много; два — слишком много; три — едва возможно.
Аристотель

The antidote for fifty enemies is one friend.
Titus Muccius Plautus

Противоядие против пятидесяти врагов это один друг.
Тит Макций Плавт

Count your age with friends but not with years.
Charles Caleb Colton

Считай возраст по друзьям, а не по годам.
Чарльз Калеб Колтон

Friendship is one mind in two bodies.
Mencius

Дружба это один разум в двух телах.
Мэн-цзы

Let friendship creep gently to a height; if it rush to it, it may soon run itself out of breath.
Thomas Fuller

Пусть дружба спокойно взбирается на высоту. Если она взлетит туда, то может скоро зачахнуть.
Томас Фуллер

It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.
William Blake

Проще простить врага, чем друга.
Вильям Блэйк

In prosperity it is very easy to find a friend; in adversity, nothing is so difficult.
Epictetus

В процветании легко найти себе друга, но нет ничего тяжелее, чем найти друга в несчастье.
Эпиктет

The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend.
Henry David Thoreau

Самое большее, что я могу сделать для моего друга это быть его другом.
Генри Дейвид Торо

It takes a long time to grow an old friend.
John Leonard

Нужно много времени, чтобы стать старым другом.
Джон Леонард

The friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you.
Elbert Hubbard

Друг это тот, кто знает о тебе все и до сих пор тебя любит.
Элберт Хаббард

A single rose can be my garden… a single friend, my world.
Leo Buscaglia

Одна роза может быть моим садом… один друг — моим миром.
Феличе Леонардо «Лео» Баскаглия

True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost.
Charles Caleb Colton

Настоящая дружба как крепкое здоровье; никогда не осознаешь, пока не потеряешь.
Чарльз Калеб Колтон

The first step of being happy in life is to be true to oneself, as said by William Shakespeare.

Accepting yourself and being honest with your feelings in life is a sign of maturity. To be true to yourself really means to respect and love their own self.

A number of well-known people over the generations have advised being true to oneself. Some of them being Henri-Frederic Amiel, Steve Maraboli, Leo Buscaglia, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Steve Jobs, and many others. They have all spoken quotes about being true to yourself in your life. A human being in general finds quotes to be inspiring as it affects their thoughts and opinion. If you’re looking for the best quote for you and how can I be true to myself quotes, you’re in the right place. Here’s a list of quotes and sayings about being yourself and being true to yourself.

If you like this article on be true to yourself quotes, you might also like be real quotes and authenticity quotes!

‍

Be Yourself Quotes  

It is very important for one to be self aware and not be ashamed of who they are. Here’s a list of be yourself quotes that will provoke thoughts of being comfortable in themselves:

1. «Be who you were created to be, and you will set the world on fire.»

– St. Catherine of Siena.

2. «I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself.»

— Rita Mae Brown.

3. «Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.»

— Lao Tzu.

4. «Some people say you are going the wrong way, when it’s simply a way of your own.»

— Angelina Jolie.

5. «Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.»

– Bruce Lee.

6. «Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.»

– Dr. Seuss.

7. «Find out who you are and do it on purpose.»

– Dolly Parton.

8. «To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.»

— Ralph Waldo Emerson.

9. «Don’t worry what people say or what people think. Be yourself.»

–  Brett Hull.

10. «Some people like you, some people don’t. In the end, you just have to be yourself.»

–  Andres Iniesta.

11. «It’s just better to be yourself than to try to be some version of what you think the other person wants.»

– Matt Damon.

12. «Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.»

— Coco Chanel.

13. «If you can just be yourself, then you have to be original because there’s no one like you.»

– Marc Newson.

14. «Don’t try to impress people. Always be yourself.»

—  Bella Thorne.

15. «Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.»

— Oscar Wilde.

16. «Fearlessly be yourself.»

– Anthony Rapp.

17. «I never said to be like me, I say be yourself and make a difference.»

— Marilyn Manson.

18. «Be what you are. This is the first step toward becoming better than you are.»

– Julius Charles Hare.

19. «Just be yourself, let people see the real, imperfect, flawed, quirky, weird, beautiful & magical person that you are.»

– Mandy Hale.

20. «The essential lesson I’ve learned in life is to just be yourself.»

— Wayne Dyer.

21. «Living in truth with other people means that you refuse to stay in any situation where you are unhappy with the behavior of another person. You refuse to tolerate it. You refuse to compromise.»

— Brian Tracy.

22. “Just be yourself, there is no one better.”

– Taylor Swift

Always Be True To Yourself Quotes

Whatever is spoken directly to you by everyone else, you always know the truth about yourself. Here’s a list of quotes to inspire you to always be true to yourself.

23. «One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. «

— Michelle Obama.

24. «Always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody says distract you from your goals.»

— Michelle Obama.

25. «Overall I think that the most important thing is to have true friends, and always to stay true to yourself.»

— Diego Boneta.

26. «Just stay true to yourself and true to what you believe.»

Joel Madden.

27. «This above all; to thine own self be true.»

— William Shakespeare.

28. «It’s important to stay true to yourself. Have fun with fashion instead of letting it dictate.»

— Estella Warren.

29. «It’s hard to stay true to yourself and what you want in life when there are so many distractions.»

— Hilary Duff.

30. «Always stay true to yourself. Some people will like it, some people won’t. Life goes on.»

— Carmelo Anthony.

31. «Life is funny. Things change, people change, but you will always be you, so stay true to yourself and never sacrifice who you are for anyone.»

— Zayn Malik.

32. «By staying true to yourself, you keep your energy high and clear, and you provide inspirational role modeling for other healers and helpers.»

— Doreen Virtue.

33.  «You have to stay true to yourself and don’t be afraid even though people may say what you’re doing isn’t cool or isn’t right.»

— Emma Stone.

34. «I think if you stay true to yourself and keep moving forward, things come around.»

— Demi Moore.

35. «Whatever the consequences of staying true to yourself, they’re much less than the consequences of selling your soul.»

— Carly Fiorina.

36. «Just make sure you’re staying true to yourself, and do what you think is good in that craft or field and then let everything else fall where it falls.»

— Brian Regan

37. «You always have to stay true to yourself.»

— Aerin Lauder.

38. «Stay true to yourself because it goes a long way. If you don’t know who you are, who are you really?»

— Brandy Norwood.

39. «Just staying true to yourself and staying true to your passion. Following your gut.»

— Brandy Norwood.

40. «Real beauty is to be true to oneself. That’s what makes me feel good.»

-Laetitia Casta.

41. «No life is perfect; we all have our problems and issues, and I believe that it’s good to be true to who you are.»

— Liberty Ross.

42. «If my life wasn’t funny, it would just be true, and that’s unacceptable.»

— Carrie Fisher.

43. «Truth can be stated in a thousand different ways, yet each one can be true.»

— Swami Vivekananda.

44. «You can be true to the character all you want but you’ve got to go home with yourself.»

— Julia Roberts.

Best Quotes For Being You

Be yourself quotes are the best, here’s a list of such wonderful words spoken by different people on being yourself.

45. «Follow your inner moonlight; don’t hide the madness.»

– Allen Ginsberg.

46. «Never dull your shine for somebody else.»

— Tyra Banks.

47. “You cannot change what you are, only what you do.”

– Philip Pullman.

48. «Your self-worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are.»

— Beyoncé.

49. «Just be you, be beautiful and be comfortable in your own skin.»

— Helen Edwards.

50. «Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.»

-Brené Brown.

51. «You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.»

— Maya Angelou.

52. «You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.»

– Eleanor Roosevelt.

53. «Being yourself is all it takes. If you want to impress someone don’t be someone else just be yourself.»

— Selena Gomez.

54. «You’ve been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.»

– Louise Hay.

55. «You don’t need anybody to tell you who you are or what you are. You are what you are!»

— John Lennon.

56. «The definition of success changes. Success is to live your life with integrity and not give in to peer pressure to be something you’re not. «

— Ellen DeGeneres.

57. «Don’t worry about what people say.»

— Brett Hull.

58. «People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates.»

— Thomas Szasz.

59. “Be yourself, don’t take anything from anyone, and never let them take you alive.”

– Gerard Way.

60. «Never follow anyone else’s path, unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost.»

— Ellen DeGeneres.

61. «You might not have a car or a big gold chain, stay true to yourself and things will change.»

— Snoop Dogg.

62. «Be yourself, who else is better qualified.»

— Frank J. Giblin.

63. «Embrace the glorious mess that you are.»

– Elizabeth Gilbert.

64. «The thing that is really hard and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning to work on becoming yourself.»

– Anna Quindlen.

65. «You have to be true to yourself and remain humble. Whether you win or lose, you’ve got to treat everyone the same, and be who you are.»

— Randy Couture.

66. «Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go do that. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive.»

– Howard Thurman.

67. «It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.»

– André Gide.

68. «You were born an original. Don’t die a copy.»

– John Mason.

69. «The freedom to be yourself is a gift only you can give yourself. But once you do, no one can take it away.»

– Doe Zantamata.

70. «Everyone wants to belong, or be a part of something bigger than themselves, but it’s important to follow your heart and be true to yourself in the process.»

— Emily Giffin.

71. «A wise man never loses anything, if he has himself.»

— Michel de Montaigne.

Inspiring Quotes To Remain Truthful

Someone might get encouraged to trust their instincts from the words of others. Thus, here is a list of be true to yourself quotes and sayings.

72. «Nothing can be more hurtful to your heart than betraying yourself.»

— Roy T. Bennett.

73. «When you fight yourself to discover the real you, there is only one winner.»

— Stephen Richards.

74.  «Always be a first-rate version of yourself and not a second rate version of someone else.»

– Judy Garland.

75. «Regardless of others’ reactions, do your best to stay true to yourself. Make the choices that allow you to look in the mirror and feel good about the person gazing back at you.»

— Steve Pavlina.

76. «Be congruent. Be authentic. Be your true self.»

— Mahatma Gandhi.

77. «When you do something you love, you have a passion for it. It comes naturally. Staying true to yourself and doing what you love keeps you going…everything else falls into place.»

— Christian Louboutin.

78. «Stay true to yourself because at the end of the day you can’t lie to yourself.»

— Patrick Grant.

79. «It’s important to stay true to yourself. You have to know your weaknesses and recruit support when and where you need it.»

— Jillian Michaels.

80. «Establish who you are, and don’t let anybody dress you up or change the way you are, and stay true to yourself.»

— Lynn Anderson.

81. «Stay true to yourself and the answer will become clear.»

Kentaro Yabuki.

82. «What’s important is that you stay true to yourself. Because when you enter the real world, the most valuable thing you can bring is all your you-ness.»

— Bo Burnham.

83. «You’ll have unflattering pictures posted on the Internet for all to see, so you have to be able to handle yourself and stay true to yourself.»

— Katherine Webb.

84. «You have to stay true to yourself and where you’re coming from, and sometimes people see you in a different light, but you have to take it in and try to be positive about anything.»

— McKayla Maroney.

85. «My number one beauty secret is to stay true to yourself and figure out what works best for your body.»

— Adriana Lima.

86. «I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true.»

— Abraham Lincoln.

87. «Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature.»

— Michael Faraday.

88.  «Be brave and clear. Follow your heart and don’t be overly influenced by outside factors. Be true to yourself.»

— Shirley Temple.

89. «You just have to be true to yourself and do what you love to do.»

— Mickie James.

90. «That is the definition of faith — acceptance of that which we imagine to be true, that which we cannot prove.»

— Dan Brown.

91. «The hardest thing to do is to be true to yourself, especially when everybody is watching.»

— Dave Chappelle.

92. «Being true to yourself really means being true to all the complexities of the human spirit.»

— Rita Dove.

93. «Be true to your work, your word, and your friend.»

— John Boyle O’Reilly.

94. «Be true to your heart… put your whole heart and soul into it, and then whatever you do, it will shine through.»

— Jamie Brewer.

95. «Never give up. And most importantly, be true to yourself. Write from your heart, in your own voice, and about what you believe in.»

— Louise Brown.

96. «Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books…»

— John Wooden.

97. «Being true to yourself means living in truth with each person in your life.»

— Brian Tracy.

98. «Have the guts to be true to yourself. Nothing more.»

Robin Sharma.

99. «Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself.»

— Richard Bach.

100. «Sometimes, being true to yourself means changing your mind. Self changes, and you follow.»

— Vera Nazarian.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for be true to yourself then why not take a look at be present quotes, or [be humble quotes]?

‍

New: Get The Peace of Mind Checklist. It’s free.

Here are 137 of the best friendship quotes I could find. Hope it will inspire you to spend even more time with people who make a true difference in your life. You’ll discover quotes by Dalai Lama, Emerson, Buddha, and more. Enjoy!

Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave and impossible to forget. G. Randolf

The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Best friends don’t expect anything from you. They just accept you the way you are. Maxime Lagacé

A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you. Elbert Hubbard

Friendship is a sheltering tree. Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Advertisement

I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better. Abraham Lincoln

True friendship is like sound health. The value of it is seldom known until it be lost. Charles Caleb Colton

Be true to your work, your word, and your friend. Henry David Thoreau

A friend is someone who helps you up when you’re down, and if they can’t, they lay down beside you and listen. Winnie The Pooh

I have learned that to be with those I like is enough. Walt Whitman

Advertisement

Friendship is not about whom you know the longest. It is about who came and never left. Paulo Coelho

Some people go to priests; others to poetry; I to my friends. Virginia Woolf

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have and one of the best things you can be. Winnie The Pooh

It’s not what we have, but who we have. Winnie The Pooh

One friend in a storm is worth more than a thousand friends in sunshine. Matshona Dhliwayo

Related

• 139 Relationship Quotes To Level Up Your Bonding With Others
• 110 Family Quotes To Inspire Closeness With Your Relatives
• 100 Respect Quotes To Create More Unity In The World

The Best Friendship Quotes

Go to table of contents

A friend is a gift you give yourself. Robert Louis Stevenson

The language of friendship is not words but meanings. Henry David Thoreau

There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met. William Butler Yeats

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born. Anais Nin

I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light. Helen Keller

How distant I am from people when I am with them, and how close when they are far away. Kahlil Gibran

Friendship is the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words. George Eliot

There cannot be friendship without equality. Swami Sivananda

My definition of a friend is somebody who adores you even though they know the things you’re most ashamed of. Jodie Foster

Man’s best support is a very dear friend. Cicero

Friendship consists in forgetting what one gives and remembering what one receives. Alexander Dumas

Advertisement

“Stay” is a charming word in a friend’s vocabulary. Louisa May Alcott

The real test of friendship is can you literally do nothing with the other person? Can you enjoy those moments of life that are utterly simple? Eugene Kennedy

Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it’s all over. Octavia Butler

Let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit. Kahlil Gibran

We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend. Robert Louis Stevenson

Friendship with oneself is all-important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world. Eleanor Roosevelt

Friendship at first sight, like love at first sight, is said to be the only truth. Herman Melville

Friendships are a reciprocation of efforts. Justin Kan (Source)

Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. Eleanor Roosevelt

A good friend is like a four-leaf clover; hard to find and lucky to have. Irish Proverb

A man’s friendships are one of the best measures of his worth. Charles Darwin

Friendships that last have high connections, high mutual respect and low expectations. Maxime Lagacé

The friendship which can cease has never been real. St. Jerome

Part 2. Friendship Quotes That ARE…

The Most Famous Friendship Quotes

Go to table of contents

Searching for a famous friendship quote or famous author? Check out those ones by Emerson, Confucius, Aristotle, Mark Twain, etc.

The only way to have a friend is to be one. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends? Abraham Lincoln

If you have one true friend you have more than your share. Thomas Fuller

Of all possessions a friend is the most precious. Herodotus

The best thing to hold onto in life is each other. Audrey Hepburn

My friends are my estate. Emily Dickinson

Friends are proved by adversity. Cicero

Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together. Woodrow Wilson

A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside. Winnie The Pooh

We’ll be friends forever, won’t we, Pooh? asked Piglet. Even longer. Pooh answered. Winnie The Pooh

As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen. Winnie The Pooh

Want more peace of mind and happiness?

Check out our free checklist today!

Get your copy here!

We cannot hope to only leave our children a bigger car, a bigger bank account. We must hope to give them a sense of what it means to be a loyal friend. George H. W. Bush

Be slow to fall into friendship, but when thou art in, continue firm and constant. Socrates

Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself. Confucius

A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself – and especially to feel, or not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at any moment is fine with them. Jim Morrison

A friend to all is a friend to none. Aristotle

Constant use had not worn ragged the fabric of their friendship. Dorothy Parker

Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life. Mark Twain

A friend is one soul abiding in two bodies. Aristotle

Go to table of contents

One-liners, short friendship quotes, thoughts, and captions for your bio, social status, self-talk, motto, mantra, signs, posters, wallpapers, and backgrounds.

A good friendship is a conversation that never ends. Gloria Steinem

Friends are the family you choose. Unknown

Friendship = Vulnerability * Time. Sahil Lavingia

Life is nothing without friendship. Cicero

No friendship is an accident. O. Henry

Distance yourself from people that you don’t want to become. Shane Parris (Source)

Truth springs from argument amongst friends. David Hume

Opposition is true friendship. William Blake

Love is friendship on fire. Susan Sontag

Remember, no man is a failure who has friends. Unknown

Notice the people who make an effort to stay in your life. Unknown

Keep the ones that heard you when you never said a word. Unknown

The ideal friendship is to feel as one while remaining two. Sophie Swetchine

The best mirror is an old friend. George Herbert

A man who seeks a perfect friend will remain friendless. Turkish proverb

There are no rules for friendship. It must be left to itself. William Hazlitt

One loyal friend can make a difference in your life. Steve Harvey (Source)

Friendships are discovered rather than made. Harriet Beecher Stowe

The best cure for a bad day is a good friend. Unknown

Rare as is true love, true friendship is rarer. Jean de La Fontaine

Advertisement

Inspirational Friendship Quotes

Go to table of contents

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. Charles Dickens

Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit. Aristotle

Friendship is more than being there for your friends when they need you, it’s also allowing your friends to be there for you. Shane Parrish

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. Walter Winchell

Friendship isn’t a big thing – it’s a million little things. Unknown

A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow. William Shakespeare

We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship. C.S. Lewis

Who you surround yourself with is who you become. Alex Lieberman (Source)

When was the last time you asked your friend how he/she was doing? Maxime Lagacé

If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart, I’ll stay there forever. Winnie The Pooh

When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. Thomas Sowell

Friends… they cherish one another’s hopes. They are kind to one another’s dreams. Henry David Thoreau

Friendship is the shadow of the evening, which strengthens with the setting sun of life. Jean de La Fontaine

Never forget who was with you when you had nothing. Rakesh Valand (Source)

To go against the dominant thinking of your friends, of most of the people you see every day, is perhaps the most difficult act of heroism you can perform. Theodore H. White

The most ordinary things could be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people. Nicholas Sparks

Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you; spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life. Amy Poehler

Friendship, as has been said, consists in a full commitment of the will to another person with a view to that person’s good. Pope John Paul II

When people are friends, they have no need of justice, but when they are just, they need friendship in addition. Aristotle

Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship, and it is far the best ending for one. Oscar Wilde

It’s the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter. Marlene Dietrich

The best friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake. Aristotle

A quarrel between friends, when made up, adds a new tie to friendship. Saint Francis de Sales

Your friend is your needs answered. Kahlil Gibran

Funny And Surprising Friendship Sayings

Go to table of contents

Friendship increases in visiting friends, but in visiting them seldom. Francis Bacon

There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate. Linda Grayson

I love how badass we think we are when we’re together.

I’m a controversial figure. My friends either dislike me or hate me. Toni Morrison

The holy passion of friendship is of so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last through a whole lifetime, if not asked to lend money. Mark Twain

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down. Oprah Winfrey

No one will ever be as entertained by us as us. Unknown

Real friends don’t get offended when you insult them. They smile and call you something even more offensive.

There are small ships and big ships but the best ships are friendships. Unknown

The better the friend, the less cleaning you do before he comes over. Unknown

The friendship of one intelligent man is better than that of all the unintelligent. Democritus

A day spent with you is my favorite day. So today is my new favorite day. Winnie The Pooh

The older I get the more selective I am of who is in my tribe. I would rather have four quarters than a hundred pennies. Unknown

You are I are more than friends. We’re like a really small gang. Unknown

A true friend is one who overlooks your failures and tolerates your success. Doug Larson

Wise Sayings About Friendship

Go to table of contents

The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship. William Blake

It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. William Blake

What draws people to be friends is that they see the same truth. They share it. C. S. Lewis

Prosperity makes friends, adversity tries them. Publilius Syrus

Depth of friendship does not depend on length of acquaintance. Rabindranath Tagore

Friendship is given us by nature, not to favor vice, but to aid virtue. Cicero

It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them. Confucius

He will never have true friends who is afraid of making enemies. William Hazlitt

The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends. Friedrich Nietzsche

Friends make the good things better and the bad things not so bad. Unknown

Disagreement should not destroy a friendship. It should strengthen it. Lex Fridman (Source)

We read that we ought to forgive our enemies; but we do not read that we ought to forgive our friends. Francis Bacon

He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, and he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere. Ralph Waldo Emerson

You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. Dale Carnegie

You don’t need a lot of friends, just the right ones. Gary Goodridge (Source)

Conclusion

Go to table of contents

The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend. I have no wealth to bestow on him. If he knows that I am happy in loving him, he will want no other reward. Is not friendship divine in this? Henry David Thoreau

Further Readings

• Topic: Relationships
• 100 Sister Quotes That You Will Instantly Relate To
• 155 Brother Quotes That Will Make You Feel Lucky
• 100 Integrity Quotes That Will Empower You
• 10 Habits of Great Friends (psychologytoday.com)
• 100 Trust Quotes To Bring More Certainty (In Life and Work)
• 63 Loyalty Quotes For More Faithfulness In Your Life
• 100 Forgiveness Quotes That Will Free Yourself
• 100 Kindness Quotes That Will Open Your Heart

Hope you enjoyed these beautiful friendship quotes.

Now, make the time today to call and/or see a friend. It’s an easy way to add some meaning to your life.

And if you did like the quotes, please share them with a friend today!

Do you have lots of friends? Only a handful? What’s your favorite friend quote? And remember: words can transform your life, if you find the right ones.

Most of us consider ourselves good people. We recycle our cardboard, give to charity and generally try to do the right thing when we have the opportunity. Yet most good people also lie quite frequently.

How often, for example, have you lied in order to get out of a social request (“I’d love to come, but I’m busy that night”)?

How often have you lied, or asked your children or coworkers to lie on your behalf, when you get a phone call from someone you don’t want to talk to (“Tell them I’m not here!” or “I’d love to chat, but I’m late for a meeting”)?

How many couples regularly lie to each other for fear of hurting each other’s feelings or getting into a conflict: “I’m not mad; I’m just upset about work” or “Yeah, I’ll be home in a minute”? (Small fibs can add up to a lot of stress. See “Little Lies, Big Stress” to learn more.)

How often do you lie to yourself (“Tomorrow I’ll go to the gym” or “I’ll pay off that credit card next month”)?

We may think our lying is for a good reason: to keep from insulting or wounding someone we care about, to avoid our own discomfort, to smooth over conflict or to make someone happy. Really, though, we most often lie to make our own reality more comfortable.

We may feel that lying gives us more control of our lives: We get to avoid the pain of disappointing someone, of facing a difficult truth or of being the bearer of bad news. We may insist that we lie because we’re trying “to be nice” to ourselves and others. But lying — as with other careless uses of language, such as making false promises, or gossiping, or trying to sound authoritative on topics we don’t fully understand — has a great many negative consequences. (Become more aware of the impact your words have at “The Power of Language“.)

When our words don’t match our actions, we lose a measure of healthy ownership and control over our lives. Careless language undermines our relationships, chips away at our sense of self and decreases our personal power.

Words and language patterns are powerful forces of creation. They articulate our reality. They put our dreams and goals out there for the whole world to see. They define our agreements. And they are the cornerstone of personal integrity.

Florence Scovel Shinn, a metaphysician of the 1920s, said, “There is always plenty on man’s pathway; but it can only be brought into manifestation through desire, faith or the spoken word.”

Every time we speak, we create a road of some sort. The quality of that road, and how far it goes, will be directly related to how well we maintain our integrity with our words and language choices.

How Deceptions Diminish Us

What exactly is integrity? According to the American Heritage dictionary, it is the “steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code,” and “the quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.” Integrity, then, is having high principles and keeping those standards consistent throughout all the different realms of your life.

One of the first places integrity issues show up is in our language patterns. When we are “in integrity,” our words match our actions. As Dr. Seuss put it, “We say what we mean and we mean what we say.” When we break from this pattern and say things we don’t really mean, we move “out of integrity.”

You’ve probably seen this dynamic in action many times. Do you know someone who agrees to things readily but then never seems to be able to show up for his or her agreements? Do you have friends who tell white lies or who “stretch” the truth? Do you know individuals who present themselves as experts on topics they have little or no experience with — who have plenty of opinions but little applicable knowledge to back it up? Do you have friends who say critical things behind each other’s backs, or who say disempowering things about themselves? These are just a few common ways that people deprive themselves of the potential power of speech.

Language is meant to power our dreams into physical reality. When we “spend” our language on half-baked ideas, small fibs, or passionate views on topics we don’t fully understand, when we use language destructively or we say things we don’t really mean, we lose personal power. We lose the ability to manifest and embody our highest choices and dreams.

Personal power comes from being in integrity and diminishes whenever our integrity is undermined. And lying is one of the ways we do that.

The dictionary offers several subtly different definitions of the word “lie,” but all of them are unified by one common theme: the intent to deceive. Of course, the act of deliberately deceiving someone is at complete odds with the commonly valued ideal of “being nice.” And yet, at some point or another, most of us catch ourselves thinking: What does it hurt to tell a little white lie every once in a while?

What lying does, as a rule, is to create multiple realities. When you lie, reality splits, or “dis-integrates.” You now have one reality that you know and live in, knowing the “truth” about a particular issue, and you have another reality that the people to whom you’ve lied live in, which is designed around somewhat or totally different information. The people to whom you have lied make decisions and choices based on the reality they inhabit, but it’s a different reality than the one you inhabit, so that split will now influence your relationship and your common future.

The problem is, you are creating this potentially huge disintegration without having any real way of knowing what the repercussions of that reality split will be down the road. You can’t know how this separate reality might play out in the future, and you can’t really know whether the net outcome for this other person will be better or worse than the course of the reality that might have resulted if you had told the truth.

The more lies you tell, of course, the more multiple versions of reality you create and must live with. That’s an enormous responsibility, and it can be very energy draining because it literally costs your integrity — the state of being connected, sound, consistent and undivided. You may feel pulled in a thousand directions, or plagued by the fear and potential shame of having all these “custom-made” realities come crashing down around you. You may even start to feel unsure of whether you can fully know or trust yourself.

Resurrecting Honesty

In his book The Four Agreements, author and Toltec wise man Don Miguel Ruiz presents a simple but profound code of personal conduct based on adhering to four basic principles or “agreements.” The very first agreement is “Be Impeccable With Your Word.”

In explaining this agreement, he says: “Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.”

That is phenomenally good advice — guidance that provides the essential basis for personal integrity. But how can we be sure we’re speaking the truth, and speaking it with full integrity, not using our truth “against” ourselves or others?

Most of us have had at least one ugly experience being on the receiving end of someone who just had to “speak his or her truth” — and who also seemed intent on making us wrong, guilt-tripping us or hurting our feelings in the process. We’ve all been in situations where someone says something totally unkind or inappropriate and then uses, “Well, it’s true!” as an easy excuse.

Insisting on speaking the whole truth and nothing but the truth all the time doesn’t seem practical or wise; it seems reckless and undiscerning. This is where we need to come back and revisit that last, very important bit of Ruiz’s counsel: “Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.”

That might refer to love for another person, but it also means love of the greater good, for a principle or fundamental truth. Sometimes you may have to speak up in a way that hurts or angers someone close to you but that you feel is necessary for the benefit of a larger group or purpose. And yes, sometimes it means you may elect not to share a particular truth out of care or respect for another person.

The intersection of love and truth is a complex territory. What you need is a personal code of integrity that you can live with and be proud of.

I once attended a conference with a wonderful woman who advised: “There are three questions to ask yourself before you ‘speak the truth.’ One: Are you certain it’s true? Two: Is it necessary? And three: Is it kind?”

Ideally, your statements will pass all three tests. Occasionally, in the interest of ethics, you may find yourself called upon to say something that you know to be true and feel to be necessary but that doesn’t seem particularly kind. In these situations, you have to examine your own intent (is it coming from a place of love or care for a greater good?). Then, if you do decide to share the information, do it with care and appropriate timing.

Of course, even this guideline does not eliminate all doubt. Nor does it eliminate the discomfort inherent in many “speak/don’t speak” quandaries, but it does give you a structure for examining your motives, and a foundation for building your integrity with language — both in the words you speak to others and the messages you send to yourself.

Reclaiming Your Truth

Want to upgrade your integrity and sharpen your truth-telling instincts? Here are some easy ways to get started:

1. Identify your triggers. Sit down and think about where you most frequently break promises with yourself and others. What circumstances, relationships and patterns in your life are most littered with broken commitments and are most likely to result in diminished integrity? Take some time to reflect on why that person or situation acts as a trigger for you. Awareness of what is causing you to lie or use disempowering language can go a long way in helping you correct course. (To learn what may be triggering you, see “9 Types of Emotional Triggers“.)

2. Perceive your language patterns. How often do you say yes when you really mean no — when you realize on some level you have no intention of following through on that “yes”? Do you sometimes say you’ve completed something you haven’t, or fib about how far you’ve gotten? Do you idly agree to do something and then, when the time comes, conveniently “forget” your promise, or don’t have the time, or don’t want to allocate the resources necessary to keep your word? Knowing how you use language in disempowering ways is important information to have as you work to bring more integrity to your language.

3. Take small steps toward honesty. Once you can identify where and when you’re not keeping your word, you can make the necessary adjustments toward telling the truth, even in small ways. Start by practicing with situations that feel the safest for exploring truth-telling. What could this look like in practice? Here’s an example: When your sister-in-law, with whom you’re close and whom you think will respond positively to the truth, calls to invite you over for Friday-night cocktails, and you’re not certain you’re up for it, be honest. Tell her, “I appreciate the invitation, but I’d like to wait to decide. I am having a tough week and I might be exhausted by then.” Or simply let her know what you’re doing instead: “No thanks; I’ve committed myself to spending the evening clearing off my desk.”

4. Examine your relationships. If you are afraid others will be offended by your truth, ask yourself if you really want to be spending time with people to whom you have to lie on a regular basis. It may be that for you to get into integrity, you have to do some housecleaning of your relationships. Look at it this way: If some of your relationships go out with the recycling, you’ll have more room for building relationships with people you can be honest with.

5. Give your word less often. If something is a “maybe” for you, say so, being clear that you are choosing to withhold your commitment until a later time. Or err on the safe side, and decline. Realize that your commitments matter; if you are consistently breaking your word, your relationships will never be fully satisfying. If keeping your word means you have to give it less often, then by all means, give it less often. The less it is given and broken, the more powerful it becomes. Over time, you will find yourself more energized to make commitments, and clearer about what kinds of commitments are right for you.

Building a Better Reality

It may take you some time to break the cultural habits of white lies, broken promises and powerless language, but the results will be well worth it. In her book The Game of Life and How to Play It (Random House UK, 2004, originally published in 1925), Florence Scovel Shinn writes, “After man knows the truth, he cannot be too careful of his words.” What she means is that once you realize the potential of language spoken with integrity, you suddenly become incredibly aware of how much of our daily language is spoken without it. And your tolerance for careless, destructive and sloppy language plummets accordingly.

You will find yourself to be a much happier person when your words match your intentions and when your actions match your words. You will find yourself sleeping better when there are no niggling half-truths or broken commitments keeping you awake at night.

As your word becomes more and more powerful, your reality will begin to reflect that. As you speak from a place of integrity, and use clear language in the service of your highest choices, you will start to manifest those choices very much as you have described them. When that happens, you’ll know you are on the right path and headed in a direction of personal power.

---

How to Say No With Integrity

Saying no can be tough, but it’s essential to establishing high-integrity relationships and a reputation for trustworthiness. Here are some examples of common types of requests for your time and energy — and ways to say no with integrity. A general tip: Keep it short. The more words you use to say no, the more others will suspect you are lying — or open to negotiating.

1. You’ve got plans for the weekend. On Thursday your boss sticks his head in your office and says, “We need another volunteer for the company tournament this weekend. Can we count on you to be there?” You respond: “I appreciate you thinking of me, but this is my weekend for [catching up around the house, taking the kids to my mom’s, resting up for the big presentation on Monday, or whatever it is you have planned for the weekend]. I’ll look forward to hearing how it all went on Monday!”
2. Your mom calls and wants you to come to dinner — tonight. You respond: “That sounds like fun; I’d love to have dinner with you. Tonight won’t work for me, but let’s look at the calendar right now and find a good time. And if you let me know a bit in advance next time, I can keep the calendar open.”
3. Your college-age child calls to ask you to fix or take care of something she could (and should) probably be handling herself. You respond: “You know, this is one of those adult responsibilities that I have a lot of confidence you can now take care of all on your own. If you want some suggestions on how to get started, let me know. Otherwise, just do your best with it. I’ll be excited to hear how it turns out.”
4. A former workmate contacts you for a recommendation you don’t want to give. You respond: “I appreciate your thinking of me, Dan, and wish you all the best in your job hunt; I think there are other people who might be a better choice for that kind of recommendation, though. Why not contact your former supervisor and ask her for the referral? I am sure she would be happy to help.” Or, “Dan, as you know, I’m an accounting guy. I’m better with numbers than words. Just thinking of writing this makes me sweat! Could you find someone else to do it? Maybe your old boss? Thanks!”
5. A friend asks to borrow your truck, and you’re not entirely comfortable with the idea. You say: “Sorry, I’m not comfortable loaning my truck out, but I could easily drive you to a rental center where I know you can rent one for less than $50.”

This article has been updated. It was originally published online on March 20, 2012.