--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Plato is my friend, but truth is a better…" description: "\"Plato is my friend, but truth is a better friend.\" — Aristotle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72d/aristotle-78_friendship_plato-is-my-friend-but-truth-is-a-better_301443.png" --- # Plato is my friend, but truth is a better friend. ![“Plato is my friend, but truth is a better friend.” quote by Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72d/aristotle-78_friendship_plato-is-my-friend-but-truth-is-a-better_301443.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72d/aristotle-78_friendship_plato-is-my-friend-but-truth-is-a-better_301443.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72d/aristotle-78_friendship_plato-is-my-friend-but-truth-is-a-better_301443.png) > “Plato is my friend, but truth is a better friend.” [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Plato values friendship, yet truth offers deeper, more reliable guidance than any companion. **In simple terms:** Truth outweighs friendship for reliable guidance. Key Takeaway Prioritize truth over comfort. Themes philosophy truth friendship Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - personal decisions - academic research - political discourse Key Concepts epistemology ethical hierarchy Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance loyalty with honesty? - When does truth outweigh personal ties? A Different Perspective Truth can be uncomfortable and strain relationships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-friend/) [Friend Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend-truth-544665/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [My friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-friends/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plato/) [Plato Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plato-friend-2879707/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-better/) [Truth is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-is/) ## Related quotes > [Plato is my friend, Aristotle is my friend, but my greatest friend is truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/plato-is-my-friend-aristotle-is-my-friend-but-my-greatest-friend-is/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [“Amicus Plato — amicus Aristoteles — magis amica veritas. ( Plato is my friend — Aristotle is my friend — but my greatest friend is truth .)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/amicus-plato-amicus-aristoteles-magis-amica-veritas-plato-is-my/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [Statesman, yet friend to truth! of soul sincere, In action faithful, and in honour clear; Who broke no promise, serv'd no private end, Who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/statesman-yet-friend-to-truth-of-soul-sincere-in-action-faithful-and/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [A friend is someone who can see the truth and pain in you even when you fooling everyone else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-friend-is-someone-who-can-see-the-truth-and-pain-in-you-even-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“My greatest friend is truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-fantaskey/my-greatest-friend-is-truth/) [Beth Fantaskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-fantaskey/) > [“Odd, she thought of him as her friend though in truth they had shared only one brief conversation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/odd-she-thought-of-him-as-her-friend-though-in-truth-they-had-shared/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [Today, I step back realize the people that I hang out with really not my friends. A little bird told me that a true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/today-i-step-back-realize-the-people-that-i-hang-out-with-really-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A friend is someone who can see the truth & ain in you even when you are fooling everyone else!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norden/a-friend-is-someone-who-can-see-the-truth-ain-in-you-even-when-you/) [Norden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norden/) > [Maybe my actions told everyone I wasn't a true friend but the truth is. I still love you with all my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/maybe-my-actions-told-everyone-i-wasn-t-a-true-friend-but-the-truth/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A friend is someone who can see the truth behind the pain in you even when you are fooling everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie/a-friend-is-someone-who-can-see-the-truth-behind-the-pain-in-you-even/) [Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie/) > [The greatest friend of truth is Time, her greatest enemy is Prejudice, and her constant companion is Humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/the-greatest-friend-of-truth-is-time-her-greatest-enemy-is-prejudice/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [No coward can be the friend of the truth! Cowards have always been the friends of lies!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/no-coward-can-be-the-friend-of-the-truth-cowards-have-always-been-the/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“My friend, the truth is always implausible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/my-friend-the-truth-is-always-implausible/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [May be my actions told everyone I wasn't a true friend.But the truth is, I still love you with all my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/may-be-my-actions-told-everyone-i-wasn-t-a-true-friend-but-the-truth/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We know when we have had enough of a friend, and we know when a friend has had enough of us. The first truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/we-know-when-we-have-had-enough-of-a-friend-and-we-know-when-a-friend/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) ## More by Aristotle > [The knowledge of the soul admittedly contributes greatly to the advance of truth in general, and, above all, to our understanding of Nature, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-knowledge-of-the-soul-admittedly-contributes-greatly-to-the/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Young men have strong passions and tend to gratify them indiscriminately. Of the bodily desires, it is the sexual by which they are most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/young-men-have-strong-passions-and-tend-to-gratify-them/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The body is at its best between the ages of thirty and thirty-five; the mind is at its best about the age of forty-nine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-body-is-at-its-best-between-the-ages-of-thirty-and-thirty-five/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The ensouled is distinguished from the unsouled by its being alive. Now since being alive is spoken of in many ways, even if only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-ensouled-is-distinguished-from-the-unsouled-by-its-being-alive/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Although it may be difficult in theory to know what is just and equal, the practical difficulty of inducing those to forbear who can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/although-it-may-be-difficult-in-theory-to-know-what-is-just-and-equal/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The true forms of government, therefore, are those in which the one, or the few, or the many, govern with a view to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-true-forms-of-government-therefore-are-those-in-which-the-one-or/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [All men by nature desire to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/all-men-by-nature-desire-to-know/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [All persons ought to endeavor to follow what is right, and not what is established.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/all-persons-ought-to-endeavor-to-follow-what-is-right-and-not-what-is/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Give a man a poisoned fish, you feed him for the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/give-a-man-a-fish-you-feed-him-for-a-day-give-a-man-a-poisoned-fish/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The man who confers a favour would rather not be repaid in the same coin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-man-who-confers-a-favour-would-rather-not-be-repaid-in-the-same/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The mother of revolution and crime is poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-mother-of-revolution-and-crime-is-poverty/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Obstinate people can be divided into the opinionated, the ignorant, and the boorish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/obstinate-people-can-be-divided-into-the-opinionated-the-ignorant-and/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Happiness does not consist in pastimes and amusements but in virtuous activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/happiness-does-not-consist-in-pastimes-and-amusements-but-in-virtuous/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [To learn is a natural pleasure, not confined to philosophers, but common to all men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/to-learn-is-a-natural-pleasure-not-confined-to-philosophers-but/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Every virtue is a mean between two extremes, each of which is a vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/every-virtue-is-a-mean-between-two-extremes-each-of-which-is-a-vice/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) [Explore all 1,545 Aristotle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) ## More Friendship quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never believed in trying to do anything. Whatever I set out to do I found I had already accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/i-never-believed-in-trying-to-do-anything-whatever-i-set-out-to-do-i/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“ever day Maureen is Selfish To her friend and Family One she get mad at her friend and family and She need to Grad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-andeson/ever-day-maureen-is-selfish-to-her-friend-and-family-one-she-get-mad/) [Maureen Andeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-andeson/) > [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/) > [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/) [Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/) > [If you love some one for who they are not for there body or how many friend so when you say I love you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/if-you-love-some-one-for-who-they-are-not-for-there-body-or-how-many/) [Unknow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknow/) > [“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/) > [You smile upon your friend to-day, To-day his ills are over; You hearken to the lover's say, And happy is the lover. 'Tis late…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-smile-upon-your-friend-to-day-to-day-his-ills-are-over-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“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/) > [“Kings don’t move mountains as a favor to a friend,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/kings-don-t-move-mountains-as-a-favor-to-a-friend/) [Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/) > [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [“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/) [Browse all 45,469 Friendship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Plato is my friend, but truth is a better friend.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aristotle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/plato-is-my-friend-but-truth-is-a-better-friend/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Friendship" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/plato-is-my-friend-but-truth-is-a-better-friend/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72d/aristotle-78_friendship_plato-is-my-friend-but-truth-is-a-better_301443.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72d/aristotle-78_friendship_plato-is-my-friend-but-truth-is-a-better_301443.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72d/aristotle-78_friendship_plato-is-my-friend-but-truth-is-a-better_301443.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Plato is my friend, but truth is a better friend.” — Aristotle", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Aristotle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Plato is my friend, but truth...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/plato-is-my-friend-but-truth-is-a-better-friend/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/plato-is-my-friend-but-truth-is-a-better-friend/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```