--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The way to gain a friend is to be one" description: "\"The way to gain a friend is to be one\" — Jules Michelet" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/jules-michelet-21286_friend_the-way-to-gain-a-friend-is-to-be-one-20_2029721.png" --- # The way to gain a friend is to be one ![“The way to gain a friend is to be one” quote by Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/jules-michelet-21286_friend_the-way-to-gain-a-friend-is-to-be-one-20_2029721.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/jules-michelet-21286_friend_the-way-to-gain-a-friend-is-to-be-one-20_2029721.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/jules-michelet-21286_friend_the-way-to-gain-a-friend-is-to-be-one-20_2029721.png) > “The way to gain a friend is to be one” [Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Friendship is built by embodying the qualities you seek in others. **In simple terms:** Be the friend you want. Key Takeaway Act as a good friend. Themes relationships empathy social skills Mood warm encouraging Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - team projects - neighborhood gatherings - online communities - mentor relationships Key Concepts reciprocity authenticity Questions to Reflect On - How can you demonstrate friendship without expecting return? - What actions show genuine care? A Different Perspective People may not respond reciprocally despite your effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ## Related quotes > [The real way to gain happiness is to give it to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baden-powell-de-aquino/the-real-way-to-gain-happiness-is-to-give-it-to-others/) [Baden Powell de Aquino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baden-powell-de-aquino/) > [The true way to gain much is never to desire to gain too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beaumont/the-true-way-to-gain-much-is-never-to-desire-to-gain-too-much/) [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) > [You can gain a friend in a year but lose a friend in a minute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-gain-a-friend-in-a-year-but-lose-a-friend-in-a-minute/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you are going to gain anything in life, gain a friend, they will always be there, and that makes all the difference in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-going-to-gain-anything-in-life-gain-a-friend-they-will/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For ever enemies you gain. a friend is lost as well](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-rhynes/for-ever-enemies-you-gain-a-friend-is-lost-as-well/) [Cedric Rhynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-rhynes/) > [No lasting gain has ever come from compulsion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/no-lasting-gain-has-ever-come-from-compulsion/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [What you'll gain is the macro story. You'll get a good command of that. And what you might lose is some of the fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-hurwitz/what-you-ll-gain-is-the-macro-story-you-ll-get-a-good-command-of-that/) [Mitchell Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-hurwitz/) > [We only gain collectively by acting now. We gain by one day not having to pay a thing for fuel. We gain by having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/we-only-gain-collectively-by-acting-now-we-gain-by-one-day-not-having/) [Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/) > [For me, when I do a show is to make sure that I gain some new people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torae/for-me-when-i-do-a-show-is-to-make-sure-that-i-gain-some-new-people/) [Torae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torae/) > [Lost in much of the national debate about immigration reform is how Democrats ultimately stand to gain electorally with any legislation or executive action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-klein/lost-in-much-of-the-national-debate-about-immigration-reform-is-how/) [Aaron Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-klein/) > [Give him threepence, since he must make a gain out of what he learns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euclid/give-him-threepence-since-he-must-make-a-gain-out-of-what-he-learns/) [Euclid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euclid/) > [Only a cheap politician, greedy for political gain, would try to single out one individual for blame. The fault lies not with the individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-paulsen/only-a-cheap-politician-greedy-for-political-gain-would-try-to-single/) [Pat Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-paulsen/) > [There is no gain without struggle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/there-is-no-gain-without-struggle/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Sometimes out of your biggest misery, comes your greatest gain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/sometimes-out-of-your-biggest-misery-comes-your-greatest-gain/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [Some lose yet gain, others gain and yet lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-lose-yet-gain-others-gain-and-yet-lose/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Jules Michelet > [The indifference of men, far more than their tyranny, is the torment of women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/the-indifference-of-men-far-more-than-their-tyranny-is-the-torment-of/) [Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) > [Great hearts alone understand how much glory there is in being good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/great-hearts-alone-understand-how-much-glory-there-is-in-being-good/) [Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) > [Animal life, sombre mystery. All nature protests against the barbarity of man, who misapprehends, who humiliates, who tortures his inferior brethren.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/animal-life-sombre-mystery-all-nature-protests-against-the-barbarity/) [Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) > [Woman is a miracle of divine contradictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/woman-is-a-miracle-of-divine-contradictions/) [Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) > [You are one of the forces of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/you-are-one-of-the-forces-of-nature/) [Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) > [Woe be to him who tries to isolate one department of knowledge from the rest. All science is one: language, literature and history, physics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/woe-be-to-him-who-tries-to-isolate-one-department-of-knowledge-from/) [Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) > [Women are perfectly well aware that the more they seem to obey the more they rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/women-are-perfectly-well-aware-that-the-more-they-seem-to-obey-the/) [Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) > [At its starting point in India, the birthplace of races and religions, the womb of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/at-its-starting-point-in-india-the-birthplace-of-races-and-religions/) [Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) > [Woman's happiness consists in obeying; she objects to a man who yields too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/woman-s-happiness-consists-in-obeying-she-objects-to-a-man-who-yields/) [Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) > [Improvement depends far less upon length of tasks and hours of application than is supposed. Children can take in but a little each day;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/improvement-depends-far-less-upon-length-of-tasks-and-hours-of/) [Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) > [How beautifully everything is arranged by Nature; as soon as a child enters the world, it finds a mother ready to take care of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/how-beautifully-everything-is-arranged-by-nature-as-soon-as-a-child/) [Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) > [Woman is the Sunday of man: not his repose only, but his joy; the salt of his life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/woman-is-the-sunday-of-man-not-his-repose-only-but-his-joy-the-salt/) [Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) > [He who knows how to be poor knows everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/he-who-knows-how-to-be-poor-knows-everything/) [Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) > [Every epoch dreams its successor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/every-epoch-dreams-its-successor/) [Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) > [What is the first part of politics? Education. The second? Education. And the third? Education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/what-is-the-first-part-of-politics-education-the-second-education-and/) [Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) [Explore all 28 Jules Michelet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) ## 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": "The way to gain a friend is to be one", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jules Michelet" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/the-way-to-gain-a-friend-is-to-be-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Friend" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/the-way-to-gain-a-friend-is-to-be-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/jules-michelet-21286_friend_the-way-to-gain-a-friend-is-to-be-one-20_2029721.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/jules-michelet-21286_friend_the-way-to-gain-a-friend-is-to-be-one-20_2029721.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/jules-michelet-21286_friend_the-way-to-gain-a-friend-is-to-be-one-20_2029721.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The way to gain a friend is to be one” — Jules Michelet", "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": "Jules Michelet", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The way to gain a friend...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/the-way-to-gain-a-friend-is-to-be-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/the-way-to-gain-a-friend-is-to-be-one/#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 } } ] } ```