--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...friends were more important than…" description: "\"“...friends were more important than lovers - not least for the fact that friendships generally lasted longer than relationships.”\" — John Irving" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/john-irving-337_friend_friends-were-more-important-than-lovers_240632.png" --- # ...friends were more important than lovers - not least for… ![“...friends were more important than lovers - not least for the fact that friendships generally lasted longer than relationships.” quote by John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/john-irving-337_friend_friends-were-more-important-than-lovers_240632.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/john-irving-337_friend_friends-were-more-important-than-lovers_240632.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/john-irving-337_friend_friends-were-more-important-than-lovers_240632.png) > ““...friends were more important than lovers - not least for the fact that friendships generally lasted longer than relationships.”” [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Friendship often endures longer and provides deeper stability than romantic relationships. **In simple terms:** Friends last longer than lovers. Key Takeaway Value lasting friendships. Themes friendship longevity relationships stability Mood reflective thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - long‑term planning - emotional health Key Concepts social bonds emotional support life satisfaction Questions to Reflect On - How do you nurture lasting friendships? - What makes a friendship endure? A Different Perspective Friendships can also be fleeting; not all last. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Friends Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends-important/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Friendships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendships/) [Important Lovers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-lovers-2413195/) [Longer Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longer-relationships-2319091/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Lovers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lovers/) [Lovers Fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lovers-fact-1841595/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships/) ## Related quotes > [“And you, You can be mean And I, I'll drink all the time 'Cause we're lovers, And that is a fact Yes we're lovers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/and-you-you-can-be-mean-and-i-i-ll-drink-all-the-time-cause-we-re/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [And you, You can be mean And I, I'll drink all the time 'Cause we're lovers, And that is a fact Yes we're lovers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/and-you-you-can-be-mean-and-i-i-ll-drink-all-the-time-cause-we-re-2/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [The awkward moment when your iPhone battery lasts longer than most relationships these days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-awkward-moment-when-your-iphone-battery-lasts-longer-than-most/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I rather be friends before we are lovers, because sometimes friendships last longer then relationships.,,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonniedagreat/i-rather-be-friends-before-we-are-lovers-because-sometimes/) [Lonniedagreat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonniedagreat/) > [Blackberry batteries last longer than relationships these days .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-aveyro/blackberry-batteries-last-longer-than-relationships-these-days/) [Nathaniel Aveyro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-aveyro/) > [“Relationships with mutual authenticity are stronger and last longer, and since relationships are the lifeblood of resilience, being vulnerable, in my opinion, is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-moore/relationships-with-mutual-authenticity-are-stronger-and-last-longer/) [Christian Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-moore/) > [I swear ma phone battery can last longer than most relationships these days](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel/i-swear-ma-phone-battery-can-last-longer-than-most-relationships/) [Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel/) > [My phone battery can last longer than most relationships these days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-phone-battery-can-last-longer-than-most-relationships-these-days/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Bitch please, my showers last longer than your relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bitch-please-my-showers-last-longer-than-your-relationships/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Bitch please, my gum lasts longer than your relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bitch-please-my-gum-lasts-longer-than-your-relationships/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Though the trials of life are never easy, someone to stand with you and help you with your burdens is one of the true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micheal-rivers/though-the-trials-of-life-are-never-easy-someone-to-stand-with-you/) [Micheal Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micheal-rivers/) > [As we grow up, we realize that it's less important to have more friends, and more important to have real ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-grow-up-we-realize-that-it-s-less-important-to-have-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Friends are the most important part of your life. Treasure the tears, treasure the laughter, but most importantly, treasure the memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/friends-are-the-most-important-part-of-your-life-treasure-the-tears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [At his heart, Gambit is a good man who believes in taking care of his friends, and his friends are what's most important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-liu/at-his-heart-gambit-is-a-good-man-who-believes-in-taking-care-of-his/) [Marjorie Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-liu/) > [Don't ever put a guy in front of your friends. Friends are most important. And don't make a guy more important than yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-hannigan/don-t-ever-put-a-guy-in-front-of-your-friends-friends-are-most/) [Alyson Hannigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-hannigan/) ## More by John Irving > [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/your-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-doesn-t-it-simply-files-things/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean––make sure they know what they mean!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/watch-out-for-people-who-call-themselves-religious-make-sure-you-know/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [The desire to never leave your side, the desire to never see you again. The desire to see your face asleep on the pillow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/the-desire-to-never-leave-your-side-the-desire-to-never-see-you-again/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I had been a student in Vienna, and one of the neat little things I had found out was about that zoo. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-had-been-a-student-in-vienna-and-one-of-the-neat-little-things-i/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“God, I think I just hit a high E-flat - and I really held it!" Esmeralda said, after one of her more prolonged orgasms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/god-i-think-i-just-hit-a-high-e-flat-and-i-really-held-it-esmeralda/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Nostalgia!" Miss Frost cried. "You´re nostalgic!" She repeated. "Just how old are you, William?" She asked. "Seventeen, " I told her. "Seventeen!" Miss Frost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/nostalgia-miss-frost-cried-you-re-nostalgic-she-repeated-just-how-old/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [ “JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" \[Owen Meany\] said… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/just-because-a-bunch-of-atheists-are-better-writers-than-the-guys-who/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [It is much easier to be flexible about where a story begins than it ever was for me to change my mind about where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-much-easier-to-be-flexible-about-where-a-story-begins-than-it/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Only the chicken-lover will understand me. He will give me a kindly look, maybe mildly desirous. His eyes will tell me: You might look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/only-the-chicken-lover-will-understand-me-he-will-give-me-a-kindly/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [You're nice,' Cushie told him, squeezing his hand. 'And you're my oldest friend.' But they both must have known that you can know someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/you-re-nice-cushie-told-him-squeezing-his-hand-and-you-re-my-oldest/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Because of A Prayer for Owen Meany, many of my readers assume I am “religious.” I go to church only occasionally—like a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/because-of-a-prayer-for-owen-meany-many-of-my-readers-assume-i-am/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Did anyone who was in love and was unsatisfied with how he was loved in return ever feel saved?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/did-anyone-who-was-in-love-and-was-unsatisfied-with-how-he-was-loved/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“I TRUST THAT GOD WILL HELP ME, BECAUSE WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO LOOKS VERY HARD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-trust-that-god-will-help-me-because-what-i-m-supposed-to-do-looks/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) [Explore all 641 John Irving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## 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. 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "“...friends were more important than lovers - not least for the fact that friendships generally lasted longer than relationships.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Irving" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/friends-were-more-important-than-lovers-not-least-for-the-fact-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Friend" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/friends-were-more-important-than-lovers-not-least-for-the-fact-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/john-irving-337_friend_friends-were-more-important-than-lovers_240632.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/john-irving-337_friend_friends-were-more-important-than-lovers_240632.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/john-irving-337_friend_friends-were-more-important-than-lovers_240632.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“...friends were more important than lovers - not least for the fact that friendships generally lasted longer…” — John Irving", "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": "John Irving", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“...friends were more important than lovers...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/friends-were-more-important-than-lovers-not-least-for-the-fact-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/friends-were-more-important-than-lovers-not-least-for-the-fact-that/#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 } } ] } ```