---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Make friends when you can. You can’t just…"
description: "\"“Make friends when you can. You can’t just do it when you need help.”\" — Andy Lopata"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbe/andy-lopata-72508_friends_make-friends-when-you-can-you-can-t-just_1087868.jpg"
---

#  Make friends when you can. You can’t just do it when you…

![“Make friends when you can. You can’t just do it when you need help.” quote by Andy Lopata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbe/andy-lopata-72508_friends_make-friends-when-you-can-you-can-t-just_1087868.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbe/andy-lopata-72508_friends_make-friends-when-you-can-you-can-t-just_1087868.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbe/andy-lopata-72508_friends_make-friends-when-you-can-you-can-t-just_1087868.jpg)

> ““Make friends when you can. You can’t just do it when you need help.””

[Andy Lopata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-lopata/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Friendship should be cultivated proactively, not only when in need, to build genuine support networks.

**In simple terms:** Make friends before you need them.

Key Takeaway

Invest in relationships early.

Themes

friendship proactivity support community

Mood

encouraging thoughtful

Type

personal social

When to use this quote

- networking events
- volunteer work
- online forums

Key Concepts

social capital relationship building mutual aid

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you nurture new friendships?
- What qualities do you value in a friend?

A Different Perspective

May overlook that some friendships are situational.

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[Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Friends Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends-just/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Make Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-friends-284705/) [Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need/) [Need help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-help/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm not trying to make friends, I'm just trying to make money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/i-m-not-trying-to-make-friends-i-m-just-trying-to-make-money/)

[Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/)

> [Nobody likes being alone that much. I don't go out of my way to make friends, that's all. It just leads to disappointment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nobody-likes-being-alone-that-much-i-don-t-go-out-of-my-way-to-make/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It was always hard for me to really make friends, but that's just because I like to stay home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-schwartzman/it-was-always-hard-for-me-to-really-make-friends-but-that-s-just/)

[Jason Schwartzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-schwartzman/)

> [“best friends just don't leave your side”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blink-182/best-friends-just-don-t-leave-your-side/)

[Blink 182](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blink-182/)

> [Its funny how you can grow away from your friends, when just a few years ago they were the most important people in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-funny-how-you-can-grow-away-from-your-friends-when-just-a-few/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When you make friends with fear, it can’t rule you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/when-you-make-friends-with-fear-it-can-t-rule-you/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [You can make more friends in two months by becoming more interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/you-can-make-more-friends-in-two-months-by-becoming-more-interested/)

[Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/)

> [A big part of why I wanted to go to college is to meet people and make friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-cosgrove/a-big-part-of-why-i-wanted-to-go-to-college-is-to-meet-people-and/)

[Miranda Cosgrove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-cosgrove/)

> [I make friends with people really easily - that's one of my best qualities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-faustino/i-make-friends-with-people-really-easily-that-s-one-of-my-best/)

[David Faustino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-faustino/)

> [Neither old people nor sour people seem to make friends easily; for there is little that is pleasant in them...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/neither-old-people-nor-sour-people-seem-to-make-friends-easily-for/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [The common denominator is that we all need help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judah-smith/the-common-denominator-is-that-we-all-need-help/)

[Judah Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judah-smith/)

> [A friend in need needs a friend, indeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-scalf-linamen/a-friend-in-need-needs-a-friend-indeed/)

[Karen Scalf Linamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-scalf-linamen/)

> [In life we don't lose friends, we just learn who true friends are!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-life-we-don-t-lose-friends-we-just-learn-who-true-friends-are/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It's so ironic how best friends just slip and they become enemies so dang quick. One wrong phrase could cost 4 years, make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blondie/it-s-so-ironic-how-best-friends-just-slip-and-they-become-enemies-so/)

[Blondie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blondie/)

> [I don't understand our Relationship... Sometimes we're Friends... Sometimes we're more than Friends... and Sometimes... I'm just a total Stranger to You...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-understand-our-relationship-sometimes-we-re-friends-sometimes/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Andy Lopata

> [“Most people don’t need to be taught, they need only to be reminded.” C.S. Lewis”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-lopata/most-people-don-t-need-to-be-taught-they-need-only-to-be-reminded-c-s/)

[Andy Lopata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-lopata/)

> [“The best networkers do not visibly ‘network’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-lopata/the-best-networkers-do-not-visibly-network/)

[Andy Lopata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-lopata/)

> [“A small ripple can create huge waves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-lopata/a-small-ripple-can-create-huge-waves/)

[Andy Lopata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-lopata/)

[Explore all 4 Andy Lopata quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-lopata/)

## More Friend quotes

> [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/)

[Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/)

> [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/)

[Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/)

> [Friends are like stars you can't always see them, but you know they're there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknwon/friends-are-like-stars-you-can-t-always-see-them-but-you-know-they-re/)

[Unknwon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknwon/)

> [“But my best friend from college was silent for a long time. She, of all of my friends, had seen the parade of sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/but-my-best-friend-from-college-was-silent-for-a-long-time-she-of-all/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [“way. A true friend isn't the one that agrees with everything you say or do. A true friend is someone that has your back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shameek-speight/way-a-true-friend-isn-t-the-one-that-agrees-with-everything-you-say/)

[Shameek Speight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shameek-speight/)

> [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/)

[Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/)

> [“The real purpose of friendship was to discover and exploit weakness in others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-thompson/the-real-purpose-of-friendship-was-to-discover-and-exploit-weakness/)

[Brian Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-thompson/)

> [That FRIEND who claim they do anything for you. but yet talk behind your back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kushsoulja/that-friend-who-claim-they-do-anything-for-you-but-yet-talk-behind/)

[KushSoulja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kushsoulja/)

> [In life, we never lose friends we only get to know who the true ones are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ace-kid/in-life-we-never-lose-friends-we-only-get-to-know-who-the-true-ones/)

[Ace Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ace-kid/)

> [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/)

[Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/)

> [Sam dropped me off. When she was too far away to see me, I started to cry again. Because she was my friend again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/sam-dropped-me-off-when-she-was-too-far-away-to-see-me-i-started-to/)

[Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/)

> [“When you get lost in a really strange place, nothing is more comforting than found your friend whom you trust and can show the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-get-lost-in-a-really-strange-place-nothing-is-more/)

[Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/)

> [Friendship, "the wine of life," should, like a well-stocked cellar, be continually renewed; and it is consolatory to think, that although we can seldom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-boswell/friendship-the-wine-of-life-should-like-a-well-stocked-cellar-be/)

[James Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-boswell/)

> [I fell in love with my best friend, but I know that if it doesn't last, it will never be the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-yang/i-fell-in-love-with-my-best-friend-but-i-know-that-if-it-doesn-t-last/)

[Shelly Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-yang/)

> [A best friend isn't someone who's just always there for you.Its someone who understands you a bit more than you understand yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/a-best-friend-isn-t-someone-who-s-just-always-there-for-you-its/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

[Browse all 14,984 Friend quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/)

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