Selfless Friendship Quotes

A blessed thing it is to have a friend; one human soul whom we can trust utterly; who knows the best and worst of us, and who loves us in spite of all our faults; who will speak the honest truth to us, while the world flatters us to our face, and laughs at us behind our back; who will give us counsel and reproof in a day of prosperity and self-conceit; but who, again, will comfort and encourage us in days of difficulty and sorrow, when the world leaves us alone to fight our own battle as we can.

...To the Dolphin alone, beyond all other, nature has granted what the best philosophers seek: friendship for no advantage

The best friend is he that, when he wishes a person's good, wishes it for that person's own sake.

A FRIEND IS A PERSON . . . With whom you can be sincere. . . . To whom you never need to defend yourself. . . . On whom you can depend whether present or absent. . . . With whom you never need pretend. . . . To whom you can reveal yourself without fear of betrayal. . . . Who does not feel she owns you because you are her friend. . . . Who will not selfishly use you because she has your confidence. I WOULD HAVE SUCH A FRIEND. . . AND I WOULD BE SUCH A FRIEND. I DO HAVE SUCH A FRIEND!

Genuine human friendship is on the basis of human affection, irrespective of your position. Therefore, the more you show concern about the welfare and rights of others, the more you are a genuine friend. The more you remain open and sincere, then ultimately more benefits will come to you. If you forget or do not bother about others, then eventually you will lose your own benefit.

Friendship without self-interest is one of the rare and beautiful things of life.

A real friend ... exults in his friend’s happiness, rejoices in all his joys, and is ready to afford him the best advice.

I can never think of promoting my convenience at the expense of a friend's interest and inclination.

Man's best friend is one who wishes well to the object of his wish for his sake, even if no one is to know of it.

That friendship will not continue to the end which is begun for an end.

Friendship often ends in love; but love in friendship - never.

The flatterer's object is to please in everything he does; whereas the true friend always does what is right, and so often gives pleasure, often pain, not wishing the latter, but not shunning it either, if he deems it best.

To want friendship is a great fault. Friendship ought to be a gratuitous joy, like the joys afforded by art or life.

The service a man renders his friend is trivial and selfish, compared with the service he knows his friend stood in readiness to yield him, alike before he had begun to serve his friend, and now also. Compared with that good-will I bear my friend, the benefit it is in my power to render him seems small.

A real friend isn't capable of feeling sorry for you.

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

You must therefore love me, myself, and not my circumstances, if we are to be real friends.