Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,161,747 quotes Who coined it · How we decide
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Friendship
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“Oh, fine new friends you have—until They betray you. If the gods toy with you, cousin, it is for Their ends, not yours.”
Lois McMaster Bujold (born 1949) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The princess-archdivine once quipped to me that our friends are what the gods give us to make up for our families.”
Lois McMaster Bujold (born 1949) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“One gives you the shirt off his back, mused Des, and the other offers to help you bury bodies. I do believe you have made some new friends, Pen!”
Lois McMaster Bujold (born 1949) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“They talk of a man betraying his country, his friends, his sweetheart. There must be a moral bond first. All a man can betray is his conscience.”
Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) said by 1924 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If you attack stupidity, you attack an entrenched interest with friends in government and every walk of public life, and you will make small progress against it.”
Robertson Davies (1913–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My libertarian friends are probably getting a little upset now but I think that's because they never appreciate the benefits of local fascism.”
Ann Coulter (born 1961) first seen 1997 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Commentary on MSNBC (8 February 1997).
“This Bruce Jenner still has Y chromosomes in every cell of his body. Do not tell me he is a girl. And I’ve checked with all my gay friends and they all say if he didn’t cut it off, he’s still a man.”
Ann Coulter (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.”
Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) first seen 1975 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Nelson Mandela on friendship, From his unpublished autobiographical manuscript written in 1975. Source: From Nelson Mandela By Himself: The Authorised Book of Quotations © 2010 by Nelson R. Mandela and The Nelson Mandel…
“Friends, Comrades and fellow South Africans. I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all. I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people. Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today. I therefore place the remaining years of my life in your hands.”
Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) said by 2013 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Your Majesties, Your Highnesses, Distinguished Guests, Comrades and Friends. Today, all of us do, by our presence here, and by our celebrations in other parts of our country and the world, confer glory and hope to newborn liberty. Out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud.”
Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) said by 2013 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You sharpen your ideas by reducing yourself to the level of the people you are with and a sense of humour and a complete relaxation, even when you’re discussing serious things, does help to mobilise friends around you. And I love that.”
Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Nelson Mandela on humour, From an interview with Tim Couzens, Verne Harris and Mac Maharay for Mandela: The Authorized Portrait, 2006 (13 August 2005). Source: From Nelson Mandela By Himself: The Authorised Book of Quot…
“For a long time I've been walking down life's road with my two pals, Bad Luck and Bad Choices. Fortunately I'm a big believer in new beginnings, new friends, and running from my problems. So one day I decided to head for the island. Aloha, my name is Jack.”
Elmore Leonard (1925–2013) first seen 1969 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Jack Ryan, The Big Bounce (1969)
“There was a bad poet named Clough, Whom his friends all united to puff. But the public, though dull, Has not quite such a skull As belongs to believers in Clough.”
Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837–1909) first seen 1903 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Reported in G. K. Chesterton, Robert Browning (1903) ch. 3, p. 56
“I can truly say with Shelley that I have been fortunate in friendships: that I have been no less fortunate in my enemies than in my friends.”
Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837–1909) first seen 1904 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Dedicatory Epistle to Poems, vol. 1 (1904) p. xxiii
“They have done so much day in and day out and I want to thank all my friends and family, particularly my mother, who was born before women could vote, and is watching her daughter on this stage tonight.”
Hillary Clinton (born 1947) first seen 2008 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: February 5, 2008 Super Tuesday Address
“I’m running for President to build an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top. And based on what we know from the Trump campaign, he wants America to work for him and his friends, at the expense of everyone else.”
Hillary Clinton (born 1947) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My own religion, if you can call it that, had changed in its fundamental premise, but not its basic assertion: I’d always told religious friends that there may or may not be a God, but if there is one, I wouldn’t want to have him over for dinner. I’ll stand by that last part.”
Joe Haldeman (born 1943) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I get my exercise acting as pallbearer to my friends who exercise.”
Chauncey Depew (1834–1928) said by 1928 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in Four Talks for Bibliophiles (1958) by George Allen, p. 70
“This song is Copyrighted in U.S., under Seal of Copyright #154085, for a period of 28 years, and anybody caught singin it without our permission, will be mighty good friends of ours, cause we don't give a darn. Publish it. Write it. Sing it. Swing to it. Yodel it. We wrote it, that's all we wanted to do.”
Woody Guthrie (1912–1967) said by 1967 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Message on mimeographed copies of lyrics distributed to fans in the 1930s, as quoted by Pete Seeger in an NPR interview "Pete Seeger remembers Woody" (1996)
“A disciple said to him, "I am ready, in the quest for God, to give up anything: wealth, friends, family, country, life itself. What else can a person give up?" The Master calmly replied, "One's beliefs about God.”
Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) said by 1987 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A master was once unmoved by the complaints of his disciples that, though they listened with pleasure to his parables and stories, they were also frustrated for they longed for something deeper. To all their objections he would simply reply: "You have yet to understand, my friends, that the shortest distance between a human being and truth is a story.”
Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) said by 1987 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When I'd speak of artistry you would roll your eyes skyward. When I'd speak of spirituality you would label it absurd. When I spoke of possibility you would frown and shake your head. If I had stayed much longer, I'd have surely imploded. These are my words. This is my house. These are my friends of which you've had no part of.”
Alanis Morissette (born 1974) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“This is the story of Danny and of Danny’s friends and of Danny’s house.”
John Steinbeck (1902–1968) said by 1968 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Luck, you see, brings bitter friends.”
John Steinbeck (1902–1968) said by 1968 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“He must not cultivate his friends, but cultivate his friendships within himself. They must be kept, cared for, watered.”
Joseph Joubert (1754–1824) said by 1824 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“True happiness Consists not in the multitude of friends, But in the worth and choice.”
Ben Jonson (1572–1637) first seen 1600 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Cynthia's Revels (1600), Act III, scene ii
“Whenever a man's friends begin to compliment him about looking young, he may be sure that they think he is growing old.”
Washington Irving (1783–1859) first seen 1822 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Bracebridge Hall. Bachelors (1822)
“In his private dealings he was just. He treated friends and strangers, the rich and poor, the powerful and weak, with equity, and was beloved by the common people for the affability with which he received them, and listened to their complaints.[...]”
Washington Irving (1783–1859) first seen 1850 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Mahomet and his successors, George P. Putnam, 1850, p. 330
“'Yes yes yes, later. For now I would ask you to proclaim next Friday from the mimbar in the masjid that the French are protectors of the faith and friends of the Prophet.'”
Anthony Burgess (1917–1993) said by 1993 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.”
Richard Bach (born 1936) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Your friends will know you better in the first minute you meet than your acquaintances will know you in a thousand years.”
Richard Bach (born 1936) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Oh, my friends, be warned by me, That Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, and Tea Are all the Human Frame requires.”
Hilaire Belloc (1870–1953) said by 1953 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“From quiet homes and first beginning, Out to the undiscovered ends, There's nothing worth the wear of winning, But laughter and the love of friends.”
Hilaire Belloc (1870–1953) said by 1953 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The cheerful tides of friends and neighbors, over the years, had washed away nearly all the stains that the dark rage Agne’s father had impressed on these rooms. She hoped her brothers might eventually see that hatred and anger are only scars upon a beach, while love is the rolling surf that ceaselessly smooths the sand.”
Dean Koontz (born 1945) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I have a message for my Russian friends, and for the Russian soldiers serving in Ukraine: there are things going on in the world that have been kept from you,terrible things that you should know about. But before I tell you about the harsh realities, let me tell you about the Russian who became my hero.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger (born 1947) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I love my enemies, but am hell on my friends.”
Ammon Hennacy (1893–1970) said by 1970 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Every generation revolts against its fathers and makes friends with its grandfathers.”
Lewis Mumford (1895–1990) first seen 1865 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Brown Decades: A Study of the Arts in America, 1865-1895 (1931), p. 3
“Forget the damned motor car and build the cities for lovers and friends.”
Lewis Mumford (1895–1990) said by 1990 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Shameless sponging on friends and relatives … Marx affected a hatred and contempt for the very material resource he was too anxious to cadge and use so recklessly. Marx created an entire philosophy around his own corrupt attitudes toward money.”
Murray Rothbard (1926–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A free person doesn't try to remake the world of his friends or his family. He merely appraises every situation by the simple standard: Is this what I want for myself? If it isn't, he looks elsewhere. If it is, he relaxes and enjoys it — without the problems most other people take for granted.”
Harry Browne (1933–2006) said by 2006 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We have to understand that politicians don't want to reduce government. And it isn't because they think the spending cuts would hurt too many people. It's because they know it would hurt them. No matter what they say, neither Democrats nor Republicans want to give up the power that allows them to bestow favors and exemptions on friends.”
Harry Browne (1933–2006) said by 2006 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The length of one's days matters less than the love of one's family and friends.”
Gerald Ford (1913–2006) first seen 2006 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Statement just before becoming the longest lived U.S. President as quoted in "Ford eclipses Reagan as oldest ex-president" in USA Today (10 November 2006)
“My friends are gone and My hair is grey. I ache in the places where I used to play. And I'm crazy for love but I'm not coming on. I'm just paying my rent everyday In the Tower Of Song.”
Leonard Cohen (1934–2016) said by 2016 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I have never thought there was much to be said in favor of dragging on long after all one's friends were dead.”
Murasaki Shikibu (970–1100) said by 1100 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My friends, there is no Palestinian-Israeli conflict. There is only the global war on terrorism.”
Tom DeLay (born 1947) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the State of Israel (August 31, 2004)
“Friends are as companions on a journey, who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life.”
Pythagoras (583–491 BC) said by 491 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in Gems of Thought: Being a Collection of More Than a Thousand Choice Selections, Or Aphorisms, from Nearly Four Hundred and Fifty Different Authors, and on One Hundred and Forty Different Subjects (1888). p. …
“He is worst of all, that is malicious against his friends.”
Pythagoras (583–491 BC) said by 491 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Tears and fears and feeling proud, To say "I love you" right out loud, Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, I’ve looked at life that way. But now old friends are acting strange They shake their heads, they say I’ve changed Well something’s lost, but something’s gained In living ev’ry day.”
Joni Mitchell (born 1943) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Friends have told her "Not so proud" Neighbors trying to sleep are yelling "Not so loud" Lovers in anger, "Block of ice" Harder and harder just to be nice.”
Joni Mitchell (born 1943) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I've been facing the last six years. I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”
Paul Reubens (1952–2023) first seen 2023 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Official Instagram message, posted after his death, as quoted in "How Paul Reubens Became Pee-wee Herman" by Laura Zornosa, in TIME (31 July 2023)