--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What progress, you ask, have I made? I…" description: "\"“What progress, you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a friend to myself.\" That was indeed a great benefit; such a person can never be alone. You ma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/marcus-aurelius-139_friendship_what-progress-you-ask-have-i-made-i-have_936353.jpg" --- # What progress, you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a… ![“What progress, you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a friend to myself." That was indeed a great benefit; such a person can never be alone. You may be sure that such a man is a friend to all mankind. Farewell.” quote by Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/marcus-aurelius-139_friendship_what-progress-you-ask-have-i-made-i-have_936353.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/marcus-aurelius-139_friendship_what-progress-you-ask-have-i-made-i-have_936353.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/marcus-aurelius-139_friendship_what-progress-you-ask-have-i-made-i-have_936353.jpg) > ““What progress, you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a friend to myself." That was indeed a great benefit; such a person can never be alone. You may be sure that such a man is a friend to all mankind. Farewell.”” [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑friendship is the foundation of personal progress and universal goodwill. **In simple terms:** Be your own friend to grow. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑compassion to benefit yourself and others. Themes self‑compassion growth humanity friendship Mood reflective calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal development - therapy - coaching - leadership - community service Key Concepts stoicism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does loving yourself enable loving others? - What boundaries prevent self‑friendship from becoming self‑indulgence? A Different Perspective Self‑friendship may be mistaken for selfishness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Begun Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/begun-friend-1564510/) [Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Friend Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend-great-287258/) [Friend Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend-mankind-1564511/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Man Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-friend/) [Progress Ask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress-ask-1564512/) ## Related quotes > [“you shall be told what pleased me to-day in the writings of Hecato; it is these words: "What progress, you ask, have I made?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca/you-shall-be-told-what-pleased-me-to-day-in-the-writings-of-hecato-it/) [Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca/) > [“I have learned to be a friend to myself Great improvement this indeed Such a one can never be said to be alone for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/i-have-learned-to-be-a-friend-to-myself-great-improvement-this-indeed/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [“...a friend of mankind with shaky moral foundation is a cannibal of mankind, to say nothing of his vainglory; insult the vainglory of one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/a-friend-of-mankind-with-shaky-moral-foundation-is-a-cannibal-of/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [I want to be distinguished from the rest; to tell the truth, a friend to all mankind is not a friend for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-want-to-be-distinguished-from-the-rest-to-tell-the-truth-a-friend/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [True friends are the whole world to one another; and he that is a friend to himself is also a friend to mankind. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/true-friends-are-the-whole-world-to-one-another-and-he-that-is-a/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [A true friend of mankind whose heart has but once quivered in compassion over the sufferings of the people, will understand and forgive all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/a-true-friend-of-mankind-whose-heart-has-but-once-quivered-in/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [You don't believe that your friend could ever do anything great. You despise yourself in secret, even – no, especially – when you stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-reich/you-don-t-believe-that-your-friend-could-ever-do-anything-great-you/) [Wilhelm Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-reich/) > [To you I may not be perfect. To me I am. You may think I'm not a good enough friend; to me I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamia-wright/to-you-i-may-not-be-perfect-to-me-i-am-you-may-think-i-m-not-a-good/) [Tamia Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamia-wright/) > [Taylor is a good friend of mine, its a great wave and weve had such a good time here this week so this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-irons/taylor-is-a-good-friend-of-mine-its-a-great-wave-and-weve-had-such-a/) [Andy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-irons/) > [Who needs a boyfriend when you've got a best friend as great as mine?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/who-needs-a-boyfriend-when-you-ve-got-a-best-friend-as-great-as-mine/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Coutinho is a friend and also a great player. He's got incredible passing ability; he knows how to put attackers in on goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-firmino/coutinho-is-a-friend-and-also-a-great-player-he-s-got-incredible/) [Roberto Firmino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-firmino/) > [He used to say that it was better to have one friend of great value than many friends who were good for nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-used-to-say-that-it-was-better-to-have-one-friend-of-great-value/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A long visit to a friend is often a great bore. Never make people twice glad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/a-long-visit-to-a-friend-is-often-a-great-bore-never-make-people/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Great friend for a great life!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mly-ab/great-friend-for-a-great-life/) [MlY AB](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mly-ab/) > [Salman is an old friend and a great human being. He's more like a family, given the years we've known each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid-nadiadwala/salman-is-an-old-friend-and-a-great-human-being-he-s-more-like-a/) [Sajid Nadiadwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-nadiadwala/) ## More by Marcus Aurelius > [A man should be upright, not kept upright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/a-man-should-be-upright-not-kept-upright/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Everything is mere opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/everything-is-mere-opinion/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [If any man has done wrong, the harm is his own. But perhaps he has not done wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/if-any-man-has-done-wrong-the-harm-is-his-own-but-perhaps-he-has-not/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Pray look upon the plants and birds, the ants, spiders, and bees, and you will see them all exerting their nature, and busy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/pray-look-upon-the-plants-and-birds-the-ants-spiders-and-bees-and-you/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“We should remark the grace and fascination that there is even in the incidentals of Nature's processes.. When a loaf of bread,. for instance,.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/we-should-remark-the-grace-and-fascination-that-there-is-even-in-the/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [My true Self is free. I cannot be contained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/my-true-self-is-free-i-cannot-be-contained/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/the-best-revenge-is-to-be-unlike-him-who-performed-the-injury/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Nothing befalls any man which he is not fitted to endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/nothing-befalls-any-man-which-he-is-not-fitted-to-endure/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Adorn thyself with simplicity and with indifference towards the things which lie between virtue and vice. Love mankind. Follow God. The poet says that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/adorn-thyself-with-simplicity-and-with-indifference-towards-the/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Let it be your constant method to look into the design of people's actions, and see what they would be at, as often as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/let-it-be-your-constant-method-to-look-into-the-design-of-people-s/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“Our life is a warfare, and a mere pilgrimage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/our-life-is-a-warfare-and-a-mere-pilgrimage/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“If therefore it be a thing external that causes thy grief, know, that it is not that properly that doth cause it, but thine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/if-therefore-it-be-a-thing-external-that-causes-thy-grief-know-that/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Frightened of change? But what can exist without it? What's closer to nature's heart? Can you take a hot bath and leave the firewood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/frightened-of-change-but-what-can-exist-without-it-what-s-closer-to/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [We are too much accustomed to attribute to a single cause that which is the product of several, and the majority of our controversies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/we-are-too-much-accustomed-to-attribute-to-a-single-cause-that-which/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself, "I have to go to work - as a human being. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/at-dawn-when-you-have-trouble-getting-out-of-bed-tell-yourself-i-have/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) [Explore all 1,138 Marcus Aurelius quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) ## 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": "“What progress, you ask, have I made? 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