--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we let our friend become cold and…" description: "\"If we let our friend become cold and selfish and exacting without a remonstrance, we are no true lover, no true friend.\" — Harriet Beecher Stowe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92f/harriet-beecher-stowe-1149_cold_if-we-let-our-friend-become-cold-and-sel_2662572.jpg" --- # If we let our friend become cold and selfish and exacting… ![“If we let our friend become cold and selfish and exacting without a remonstrance, we are no true lover, no true friend.” quote by Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92f/harriet-beecher-stowe-1149_cold_if-we-let-our-friend-become-cold-and-sel_2662572.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92f/harriet-beecher-stowe-1149_cold_if-we-let-our-friend-become-cold-and-sel_2662572.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92f/harriet-beecher-stowe-1149_cold_if-we-let-our-friend-become-cold-and-sel_2662572.jpg) > “If we let our friend become cold and selfish and exacting without a remonstrance, we are no true lover, no true friend.” [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) ## 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 warmth and generosity; neglecting these leads to cold, selfish behavior, betraying true love. **In simple terms:** Friendship needs kindness; without it, love fails. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy in relationships. Themes friendship love empathy Mood thoughtful empathetic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - marriage counseling - parent‑child relations - team dynamics - community mentorship Key Concepts moral philosophy human connection ethical behavior Questions to Reflect On - How can you show empathy when feeling distant? - What actions restore warmth in strained friendships? A Different Perspective People may resist change despite good intentions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Lovers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lovers/) [True friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-friend/) [True lovers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-lovers/) ## Related quotes > [I am speaking now of the highest duty we owe our friends, the noblest, the most sacred--that of keeping their own nobleness, goodness, pure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/i-am-speaking-now-of-the-highest-duty-we-owe-our-friends-the-noblest-2/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [“Revenge isn't family, Emma. 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and doing things as they ought to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/common-sense-is-seeing-things-as-they-are-and-doing-things-as-they/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [Love needs new leaves every summer of life, as much as your elm-tree, and new branches to grow broader and wider, and new flowers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/love-needs-new-leaves-every-summer-of-life-as-much-as-your-elm-tree/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [God has always been to me not so much like a father as like a dear and tender mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/god-has-always-been-to-me-not-so-much-like-a-father-as-like-a-dear/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [If I am to write, I must have a room to myself, which shall be my room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/if-i-am-to-write-i-must-have-a-room-to-myself-which-shall-be-my-room/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [The longest way must have its close - the gloomiest night will wear on to a morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/the-longest-way-must-have-its-close-the-gloomiest-night-will-wear-on/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [Home is a place not only of strong affections, but of entire unreserved; it is life's undress rehearsal, its backroom, its dressing room, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/home-is-a-place-not-only-of-strong-affections-but-of-entire/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [I am speaking now of the highest duty we owe our friends, the noblest, the most sacred - that of keeping their own nobleness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/i-am-speaking-now-of-the-highest-duty-we-owe-our-friends-the-noblest/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [No ornament of a house can compare with books; they are constant company in a room, even when you are not reading them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/no-ornament-of-a-house-can-compare-with-books-they-are-constant/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [The greater the interest involved in a truth the more careful, self-distrustful, and patient should be the inquiry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/the-greater-the-interest-involved-in-a-truth-the-more-careful-self/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [We can make ourselves say the kind things that rise in our hearts and tremble on our lips - do the gentle and helpful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/we-can-make-ourselves-say-the-kind-things-that-rise-in-our-hearts-and/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [It's a matter of taking the side of the weak against the strong, something the best people have always done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/it-s-a-matter-of-taking-the-side-of-the-weak-against-the-strong/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [What's your hurry?" Because now is the only time there ever is to do a thing in," said Miss Ophelia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/what-s-your-hurry-because-now-is-the-only-time-there-ever-is-to-do-a/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) [Explore all 280 Harriet Beecher Stowe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) ## More Cold quotes > [Once ye made up yer mind to do somethin', 'tis better t'stumble o'er the small hillock of jump-ahead than t'bash yer head on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/once-ye-made-up-yer-mind-to-do-somethin-tis-better-t-stumble-o-er-the/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [Of course Messi could handle a cold Tuesday night in Stoke. He'd be drinking tea and relaxing beforehand. Me? I'd probably be the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neymar/of-course-messi-could-handle-a-cold-tuesday-night-in-stoke-he-d-be/) [Neymar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neymar/) > [This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. 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It is who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-carson/those-nights-lying-alone-are-not-discontinuous-with-this-cold-hectic/) [Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-carson/) [Browse all 5,381 Cold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we let our friend become cold and selfish and exacting without a remonstrance, we are no true lover, no true friend.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harriet Beecher Stowe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/if-we-let-our-friend-become-cold-and-selfish-and-exacting-without-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cold" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/if-we-let-our-friend-become-cold-and-selfish-and-exacting-without-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92f/harriet-beecher-stowe-1149_cold_if-we-let-our-friend-become-cold-and-sel_2662572.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92f/harriet-beecher-stowe-1149_cold_if-we-let-our-friend-become-cold-and-sel_2662572.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92f/harriet-beecher-stowe-1149_cold_if-we-let-our-friend-become-cold-and-sel_2662572.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we let our friend become cold and selfish and exacting without a remonstrance, we are no true lover, no…” — Harriet Beecher Stowe", "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": "Harriet Beecher Stowe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we let our friend become...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/if-we-let-our-friend-become-cold-and-selfish-and-exacting-without-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/if-we-let-our-friend-become-cold-and-selfish-and-exacting-without-a/#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 } } ] } ```