--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The one absolutely unselfish friend that…" description: "\"“The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/dean-koontz-118_animal_the-one-absolutely-unselfish-friend-that_3163793.jpg" --- # The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in… ![“The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog. A man’s dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where…” quote by Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/dean-koontz-118_animal_the-one-absolutely-unselfish-friend-that_3163793.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/dean-koontz-118_animal_the-one-absolutely-unselfish-friend-that_3163793.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/dean-koontz-118_animal_the-one-absolutely-unselfish-friend-that_3163793.jpg) > ““The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog. A man’s dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master’s side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer; he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wing and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens. —SENATOR GEORGE VEST, 1870 Each”” [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote celebrates a dog’s unwavering loyalty, contrasting it with human selfishness, emphasizing steadfast companionship through all hardships. **In simple terms:** Dogs stay loyal no matter what. Key Takeaway Value loyal companions. Themes loyalty friendship unconditional love Mood affectionate reverent Type narrative emotional When to use this quote - loneliness - caregiving - adventure - grief support Key Concepts animal companionship trust resilience Questions to Reflect On - How can we honor such loyalty? - What does this loyalty teach about human bonds? A Different Perspective Dogs cannot replace human relationships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Friend Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend-man/) [Friends Desert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends-desert-1584628/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Selfish world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish-world/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) [Treacherous Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treacherous-dog-475184/) [Unselfish Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unselfish-friend-475183/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-graham-vest/the-one-absolutely-unselfish-friend-that-man-can-have-in-this-selfish-2/) [George Graham Vest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-graham-vest/) > [“The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-graham-vest/the-one-absolutely-unselfish-friend-that-man-can-have-in-this-selfish/) [George Graham Vest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-graham-vest/) > [In this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-graham-vest/in-this-selfish-world-the-one-that-never-deserts-him-the-one-that/) [George Graham Vest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-graham-vest/) > [MOST FAITHFUL IN THE WORLD{\_ in this selfish world\_}: MOTHER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/most-faithful-in-the-world-in-this-selfish-world-mother/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [In this selfish world only godscan give you true love, however it is your misfortune that you gods cannot be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/in-this-selfish-world-only-godscan-give-you-true-love-however-it-is/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [“You carry about in your own selfish world completely oblivious to the things that really upset me and then wonder what it is you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-gayle/you-carry-about-in-your-own-selfish-world-completely-oblivious-to-the/) [Mike Gayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-gayle/) > [Most of the time, the things that really change the world exist for something fundamentally selfish and then the world-changing ends up being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mason/most-of-the-time-the-things-that-really-change-the-world-exist-for/) [Andrew Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mason/) > [This over-consumption is also manifest in our use of raw materials. 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Grave faults are said to be only eccentricities, and imperfections are routinely celebrated as mere differences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/this-kind-of-derangement-is-emblematic-of-humankind-grave-faults-are/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“He often remembered his dad's admonition that envy was mental theft. If you coveted another man's possessions, Dad said, then you should be willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/he-often-remembered-his-dad-s-admonition-that-envy-was-mental-theft/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. 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It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog. A man’s dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master’s side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer; he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. 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