--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You haven't any right to expect your…" description: "\"“You haven't any right to expect your friends to be larger than yourself, larger than life. Just take them as they are, cut down to average size, and b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd8/cornell-woolrich-2734_friend_you-haven-t-any-right-to-expect-your-fri_3029868.jpg" --- # You haven't any right to expect your friends to be larger… ![“You haven't any right to expect your friends to be larger than yourself, larger than life. Just take them as they are, cut down to average size, and be glad you have them. To drink with, laugh with, borrow money from, lend money to, stay away from their special girls as you want them to stay away…” quote by Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd8/cornell-woolrich-2734_friend_you-haven-t-any-right-to-expect-your-fri_3029868.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd8/cornell-woolrich-2734_friend_you-haven-t-any-right-to-expect-your-fri_3029868.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd8/cornell-woolrich-2734_friend_you-haven-t-any-right-to-expect-your-fri_3029868.jpg) > ““You haven't any right to expect your friends to be larger than yourself, larger than life. Just take them as they are, cut down to average size, and be glad you have them. To drink with, laugh with, borrow money from, lend money to, stay away from their special girls as you want them to stay away from yours, and above all, never break your word to, once it's been given. And that is all the obligation you have, all you have the right to expect. ("New York Blues")”” [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Friendship requires accepting people as they are, not demanding they be larger than yourself, and honoring promises made. **In simple terms:** Accept friends as they are and keep your word. Key Takeaway Treat friends with realistic expectations and reliability. Themes friendship expectations integrity Mood reflective thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - conflict resolution - trust building Key Concepts social contract humility Questions to Reflect On - Do you expect too much from friends? - How do you maintain trust? A Different Perspective Friends may change, but promises remain binding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Friendships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendships/) [Larger than life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/larger-than-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ## Related quotes > [Larger than life itself, and I can’t even believe this striking creature was once a little bit mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-evans/larger-than-life-itself-and-i-can-t-even-believe-this-striking/) [Katy Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-evans/) > [My films are larger than life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohit-shetty/my-films-are-larger-than-life/) [Rohit Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohit-shetty/) > [I think back to the old people I knew when I was growing up, and they always seemed larger than life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/i-think-back-to-the-old-people-i-knew-when-i-was-growing-up-and-they/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [Trump is larger than life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-breslin/trump-is-larger-than-life/) [Jimmy Breslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-breslin/) > [Salman has an inherent larger than life quality to him. 'Ek Tha Tiger' compliments that with the kind of scale and spread that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/salman-has-an-inherent-larger-than-life-quality-to-him-ek-tha-tiger/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [I felt larger than life when I was with Erica. (Pause) I'd give anything to have that back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mouth-mcfadden/i-felt-larger-than-life-when-i-was-with-erica-pause-i-d-give-anything/) [Mouth McFadden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mouth-mcfadden/) > [I'm not larger than life, my personality is not larger than life, I promise you. But when I fight I am larger than life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-gaethje/i-m-not-larger-than-life-my-personality-is-not-larger-than-life-i/) [Justin Gaethje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-gaethje/) > [It is very dangerous to make a person larger than life because, then, young men and women are tempted to believe, well, if he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/it-is-very-dangerous-to-make-a-person-larger-than-life-because-then/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [You know, larger-than-life politicians have larger-than-life strengths and larger-than-life weaknesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-klein/you-know-larger-than-life-politicians-have-larger-than-life-strengths/) [Joe Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-klein/) > [I became very famous, as a teenager, and my name and photo were splashed in all the media. They made me larger than life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/i-became-very-famous-as-a-teenager-and-my-name-and-photo-were/) [Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/) > [I guess I'm larger than life. That's my problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bette-davis/i-guess-i-m-larger-than-life-that-s-my-problem/) [Bette Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bette-davis/) > [I was always looking for relatability, because I am not someone cut out for larger than life roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhay-deol/i-was-always-looking-for-relatability-because-i-am-not-someone-cut/) [Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) > [I write larger than life. It's what I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-write-larger-than-life-it-s-what-i-do/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Once I decided to be a different person on stage, I got the chance to be larger than life and over the top, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conchita-wurst/once-i-decided-to-be-a-different-person-on-stage-i-got-the-chance-to/) [Conchita Wurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conchita-wurst/) > [Idris Elba is a grand actor. He's very larger than life; he's bigger than life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/idris-elba-is-a-grand-actor-he-s-very-larger-than-life-he-s-bigger/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/) ## More by Cornell Woolrich > [“He should have caught up with me inside of fifteen minutes at the outside, if he'd been able to get on the next train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/he-should-have-caught-up-with-me-inside-of-fifteen-minutes-at-the/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Home? What is home? Home is where a house is that you come back to when the rainy season is about to begin, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/home-what-is-home-home-is-where-a-house-is-that-you-come-back-to-when/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Gates got up, but not fast or jerkily, with the same slowness that had always characterized him. He wiped the sweat off his palms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/gates-got-up-but-not-fast-or-jerkily-with-the-same-slowness-that-had/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“As the bartender struck a match to light her cigarette, she put her hand on his wrist to steady it. Travis saw him jump,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/as-the-bartender-struck-a-match-to-light-her-cigarette-she-put-her/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“That was enough dialogue for a few pages - he had to get into some fast, red-hot action. There weren't any more hitches now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/that-was-enough-dialogue-for-a-few-pages-he-had-to-get-into-some-fast/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Murder is such an elastic term, isn't it? ("Mind Over Murder")”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/murder-is-such-an-elastic-term-isn-t-it-mind-over-murder/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“She was beautiful, only hers was the dark beauty of night, just as Sherry's was the bright beauty of daytime. Her hair was raven-black,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/she-was-beautiful-only-hers-was-the-dark-beauty-of-night-just-as/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“And I still say it was just a coincidence;' he muttered pugnaciously. 'You say it too! Look at me and say it! It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/and-i-still-say-it-was-just-a-coincidence-he-muttered-pugnaciously/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“And then finally she came - and the whole world faded out around us and we were just alone on the crowded sidewalk. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/and-then-finally-she-came-and-the-whole-world-faded-out-around-us-and/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“One of the two owners, the man who had been sitting in the front room, was stretched out in there asleep, stockinged-toes pointed at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/one-of-the-two-owners-the-man-who-had-been-sitting-in-the-front-room/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“But that's the Way, and there is no other. And once his mind's made up, the trembling and aimless walking stops, and he can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/but-that-s-the-way-and-there-is-no-other-and-once-his-mind-s-made-up/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“He just lingers long enough to see his plane put to bed properly, then grabs a cab at the airport-gate. "The Settlement" and forgetting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/he-just-lingers-long-enough-to-see-his-plane-put-to-bed-properly-then/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“There was a pause, while I fought against this other, lesser kind of death that was creeping over me - this death called strangeness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/there-was-a-pause-while-i-fought-against-this-other-lesser-kind-of/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Every life is a mystery. And every story of every life is a mystery. But it is not what happens that is the mystery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/every-life-is-a-mystery-and-every-story-of-every-life-is-a-mystery/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Evans made himself their spokesman. "Charlie and Joe," he offered. "Remember us? We brought a friend back with us this time." Girls evidently didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/evans-made-himself-their-spokesman-charlie-and-joe-he-offered/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) [Explore all 152 Cornell Woolrich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) ## 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 > [“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 > [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 > [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/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You haven't any right to expect your friends to be larger than yourself, larger than life. 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