--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was a man before I was a king, and no…" description: "\"I was a man before I was a king, and no true man walks away when a friend needs him.\" — David Gemmell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad3/david-gemmell-1821_friend_i-was-a-man-before-i-was-a-king-and-no-t_2225256.png" --- # I was a man before I was a king, and no true man walks… ![“I was a man before I was a king, and no true man walks away when a friend needs him.” quote by David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad3/david-gemmell-1821_friend_i-was-a-man-before-i-was-a-king-and-no-t_2225256.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad3/david-gemmell-1821_friend_i-was-a-man-before-i-was-a-king-and-no-t_2225256.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad3/david-gemmell-1821_friend_i-was-a-man-before-i-was-a-king-and-no-t_2225256.png) > “I was a man before I was a king, and no true man walks away when a friend needs him.” [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True masculinity is defined by loyalty and support, not power or status **In simple terms:** A man should help friends, not abandon them Key Takeaway Prioritize loyalty over personal gain Themes friendship honor masculinity Mood reflective inspirational Type heroic philosophical When to use this quote - leadership - teamwork - crisis management Key Concepts altruism duty courage Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance duty and self? - When does loyalty become self‑sacrifice? A Different Perspective Loyalty may conflict with self‑interest ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Away Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away-friend-2557933/) [Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/king/) [King True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/king-true-2367347/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Man King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-king-1247068/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [True man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-man/) [Walks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walks/) ## Related quotes > [And any man who must say 'I am king' is no true king at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-any-man-who-must-say-i-am-king-is-no-true-king-at-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [King is not a happy man, but a happy man is a king!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/king-is-not-a-happy-man-but-a-happy-man-is-a-king/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Every man is a king so long as he has someone to look down on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/every-man-is-a-king-so-long-as-he-has-someone-to-look-down-on/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [A king is never a fulfilling king until he has his true queen by his side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-king-is-never-a-fulfilling-king-until-he-has-his-true-queen-by-his/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Who throws away a friend throws away much of his soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idwal-jones/who-throws-away-a-friend-throws-away-much-of-his-soul/) [Idwal Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idwal-jones/) > [He who throws away a friend is as bad as he who throws away his life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/he-who-throws-away-a-friend-is-as-bad-as-he-who-throws-away-his-life/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“Send a letter to a far away friend, All you need is paper and a pen”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-j-forde/send-a-letter-to-a-far-away-friend-all-you-need-is-paper-and-a-pen/) [Charmaine J Forde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-j-forde/) > [“any man who must say ‘I am the king’ is no true king at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/any-man-who-must-say-i-am-the-king-is-no-true-king-at-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Lord help me to see M. L. King as M. L. King in his true perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/lord-help-me-to-see-m-l-king-as-m-l-king-in-his-true-perspective/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“Any man who must say "I am the king" is no true king.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tywin-lannister/any-man-who-must-say-i-am-the-king-is-no-true-king/) [Tywin Lannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tywin-lannister/) > [“Any man that must say "I am the king" is no true king”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tywin-lannister/any-man-that-must-say-i-am-the-king-is-no-true-king/) [Tywin Lannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tywin-lannister/) > [Treasures and armies do not make a king. A true king is a king within himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/treasures-and-armies-do-not-make-a-king-a-true-king-is-a-king-within/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“Which king?” “All of them. The true and the false alike. If they would claim the realm, let them defend it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/which-king-all-of-them-the-true-and-the-false-alike-if-they-would/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [I love the same for a poor man and a king.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khole-kardashian/i-love-the-same-for-a-poor-man-and-a-king/) [Khole Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khole-kardashian/) > [In the country of the blind the one eyed man is king.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/in-the-country-of-the-blind-the-one-eyed-man-is-king/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) ## More by David Gemmell > [Do not complain of life's unfairness. It is never fair - at best it is impartial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/do-not-complain-of-life-s-unfairness-it-is-never-fair-at-best-it-is/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [“It seems to me, that you people spend a great deal of time talking about honour, but strip away the high sounding words and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/it-seems-to-me-that-you-people-spend-a-great-deal-of-time-talking/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [Makes no sense to me,' said Huntsekker. 'You don't know who is at your door, but you know the thoughts of a man twenty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/makes-no-sense-to-me-said-huntsekker-you-don-t-know-who-is-at-your/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [I may be stupid, as you say, to believe in honour and friendship and loyalty without price. But these are virtues to be cherished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/i-may-be-stupid-as-you-say-to-believe-in-honour-and-friendship-and/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [When your life has been spent in one war after another for forty-five years, you have to be pretty handy to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/when-your-life-has-been-spent-in-one-war-after-another-for-forty-five/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [When healers yearn to kill then hope begins to die ... Evil cannot be overcome by evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/when-healers-yearn-to-kill-then-hope-begins-to-die-evil-cannot-be/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [I have discovered in my long life that there are many words and phrases which have more power than any spell of magick. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/i-have-discovered-in-my-long-life-that-there-are-many-words-and/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [“Listen...You could spend a lifetime trying to understand the works of evil men. Their joys are not ours. They love to inflict pain, create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/listen-you-could-spend-a-lifetime-trying-to-understand-the-works-of/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [ We are full of dreams \[...\] We long for the unattainable. We believe in the nonsense of fables. There is no pure love; there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/we-are-full-of-dreams-we-long-for-the-unattainable-we-believe-in-the/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [It is easier with strangers, for they touch your life but for an instant. You will not disappoint them, for you owe them nothing;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/it-is-easier-with-strangers-for-they-touch-your-life-but-for-an/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [I don't know yet whether I fully believe in fate, but certain things do happen in a man's life that he cannot explain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/i-don-t-know-yet-whether-i-fully-believe-in-fate-but-certain-things/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [If you look at any ancient civilization, they've all used fantasy stories to train the young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/if-you-look-at-any-ancient-civilization-they-ve-all-used-fantasy/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [All men have talents. Some build, some paint, some write, some fight. For me it is different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/all-men-have-talents-some-build-some-paint-some-write-some-fight-for/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [“Never violate a woman, nor harm a child. Do not lie, cheat or steal. These things are for lesser men. Protect the weak against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/never-violate-a-woman-nor-harm-a-child-do-not-lie-cheat-or-steal/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [“The truth? What the Hell is the truth? We're born, we live and we die. Everything else is just shades of opinion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/the-truth-what-the-hell-is-the-truth-we-re-born-we-live-and-we-die/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) [Explore all 201 David Gemmell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) ## 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. 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