--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: True friends say good things behind you…" description: "\"True friends say good things behind you back and bad things to your face.\" — Mario Tomasello" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd2/mario-tomasello-4744_bad-thing_true-friends-say-good-things-behind-you_644559.jpg" --- # True friends say good things behind you back and bad… ![“True friends say good things behind you back and bad things to your face.” quote by Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd2/mario-tomasello-4744_bad-thing_true-friends-say-good-things-behind-you_644559.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd2/mario-tomasello-4744_bad-thing_true-friends-say-good-things-behind-you_644559.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd2/mario-tomasello-4744_bad-thing_true-friends-say-good-things-behind-you_644559.jpg) > “True friends say good things behind you back and bad things to your face.” [Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True friends speak positively when you’re absent and honestly when you’re present. **In simple terms:** Friends give sincere feedback in person. Key Takeaway Value honest, present criticism. Themes friendship honesty trust Mood thoughtful supportive Type ethical interpersonal When to use this quote - teamwork - personal development - conflict resolution Key Concepts social dynamics communication Questions to Reflect On - How do you respond to honest criticism? - Can you practice giving constructive feedback? A Different Perspective Some may view direct criticism as hurtful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thing/) [Bad things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-things/) [Behind your back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behind-your-back/) [Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Friends Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends-say/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Good thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-thing/) [Good things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-things/) [Things Face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-face-431625/) [True friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-friend/) [True friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-friends/) [Your face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your-face/) ## Related quotes > [“Bad friends say nice things to your face, and then turn around and paint you black.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-joclebs-bassey/bad-friends-say-nice-things-to-your-face-and-then-turn-around-and/) [John Joclebs Bassey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-joclebs-bassey/) > [Do as little harm to others as you can; make any sacrifice for your true friends; be responsible for yourself and ask nothing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/do-as-little-harm-to-others-as-you-can-make-any-sacrifice-for-your/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [Anyone can stay true to your face, it's the people who stay true behind your back that really count.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicky-gumbel/anyone-can-stay-true-to-your-face-it-s-the-people-who-stay-true/) [Nicky Gumbel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicky-gumbel/) > [To me, my Dad's the greatest guy - next to Jesus Christ - who ever walked this planet. He's been that outstanding male role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-tippin/to-me-my-dad-s-the-greatest-guy-next-to-jesus-christ-who-ever-walked/) [Aaron Tippin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-tippin/) > [A true friend will tell you the truth to your face - not behind your back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-azevedo/a-true-friend-will-tell-you-the-truth-to-your-face-not-behind-your/) [Sasha Azevedo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-azevedo/) > [We fear our enemy but the bigger and real fear is that of a fake friend who is sweetest to your face and most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mufti-ismail-menk/we-fear-our-enemy-but-the-bigger-and-real-fear-is-that-of-a-fake/) [Mufti Ismail Menk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mufti-ismail-menk/) > [Just because they say they're praying for you in your face, doesn't mean they aren't laughing at your struggle behind your back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-shelton/just-because-they-say-they-re-praying-for-you-in-your-face-doesn-t/) [Trent Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-shelton/) > [The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/the-first-rule-is-to-keep-an-untroubled-spirit-the-second-is-to-look/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“You're bruised and battered from dealing with things you should not have had to face, but you are not less because of that. You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cora-carmack-finding-it/you-re-bruised-and-battered-from-dealing-with-things-you-should-not/) [Cora Carmack Finding It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cora-carmack-finding-it/) > [Facing the press is not easy, but because you have to go, you have to try to take a lot of positive things for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-mourinho/facing-the-press-is-not-easy-but-because-you-have-to-go-you-have-to/) [Jose Mourinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-mourinho/) > [Whenever problem arrives, do three things - Face it, Fight it and Finish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whenever-problem-arrives-do-three-things-face-it-fight-it-and-finish-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't like accepting things at face value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/i-don-t-like-accepting-things-at-face-value/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [I'd prefer it if the coach said certain things to me face to face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-nasri/i-d-prefer-it-if-the-coach-said-certain-things-to-me-face-to-face/) [Samir Nasri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-nasri/) > [“But we wanted you to fill up on good things before you had to face the bad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-latham/but-we-wanted-you-to-fill-up-on-good-things-before-you-had-to-face/) [Jennifer Latham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-latham/) > [“Whenever problem arrives, do three things - Face it, Fight it and Finish it.-RVM”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rvm/whenever-problem-arrives-do-three-things-face-it-fight-it-and-finish/) [RVM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rvm/) ## More by Mario Tomasello > [You'll know they're special when no matter what kind of mood you're in, they can always manage to make you smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/you-ll-know-they-re-special-when-no-matter-what-kind-of-mood-you-re/) [Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) > [Things change and so do people but God's love will never change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/things-change-and-so-do-people-but-god-s-love-will-never-change/) [Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) > [No relationship is ever a waste of time. If I didn't bring you want you want it showed you what you don't want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/no-relationship-is-ever-a-waste-of-time-if-i-didn-t-bring-you-want/) [Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) > [Envy is a sign of admiration. Hate is the epitome of destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/envy-is-a-sign-of-admiration-hate-is-the-epitome-of-destruction/) [Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) > [If you have haters that just means your doing something right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/if-you-have-haters-that-just-means-your-doing-something-right/) [Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) > [Good things come to those who pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/good-things-come-to-those-who-pray/) [Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) > [That moment when the ugliest guy you know gets a girlfriend and your still single.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/that-moment-when-the-ugliest-guy-you-know-gets-a-girlfriend-and-your/) [Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) > [You don't have to believe, support, or agree with a religion we just ask that you respect it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/you-don-t-have-to-believe-support-or-agree-with-a-religion-we-just/) [Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) > [You like me and I like you so why aren't we together?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/you-like-me-and-i-like-you-so-why-aren-t-we-together/) [Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) > [When you do things from the soul, other people really dig that shit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/when-you-do-things-from-the-soul-other-people-really-dig-that-shit/) [Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) > [When I see my ex and feel nothing that's when I know I'm finally over it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/when-i-see-my-ex-and-feel-nothing-that-s-when-i-know-i-m-finally-over/) [Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) > [Never cry over the same thing twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/never-cry-over-the-same-thing-twice/) [Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) > [God speaks to those who take the time to listen and He listens to those who take the time to pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/god-speaks-to-those-who-take-the-time-to-listen-and-he-listens-to/) [Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) > [Relationships are only as strong as the people in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/relationships-are-only-as-strong-as-the-people-in-them/) [Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) > [Dear Algebra stop trying to get us to find your x shes never coming back. And don't even think about asking y.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/dear-algebra-stop-trying-to-get-us-to-find-your-x-shes-never-coming/) [Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) [Explore all 107 Mario Tomasello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) ## More Bad thing quotes > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [I think the people I talk about are generally so stupid that they don't even know I'm saying bad things about them. I've run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-think-the-people-i-talk-about-are-generally-so-stupid-that-they-don/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I'm not going to pretend that bad things don't happen. I just hope my daughter has enough understanding that when they do, just give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/i-m-not-going-to-pretend-that-bad-things-don-t-happen-i-just-hope-my/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [I've heard some pretty bad things in my life. I'm just one of those people I've gotten to a point where I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/i-ve-heard-some-pretty-bad-things-in-my-life-i-m-just-one-of-those/) [Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/) > [Like everybody, you get nights where you feel completely depressed. You start thinking about all the bad things and think about the glass half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/like-everybody-you-get-nights-where-you-feel-completely-depressed-you/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [Be Thankful for all things in life. Even for the bad things. SOMETIMES the worst situations in life turn out to be the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-thankful-for-all-things-in-life-even-for-the-bad-things-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In my business, you should be very strong in mind. You have to be sure about yourself and about your work and your career,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irina-shayk/in-my-business-you-should-be-very-strong-in-mind-you-have-to-be-sure/) [Irina Shayk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irina-shayk/) > [“I don’t know why I latched onto the idea of being friends, but it sits right with my gut. I want Hartley in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-watt/i-don-t-know-why-i-latched-onto-the-idea-of-being-friends-but-it-sits/) [Erin Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-watt/) > [I'm just grateful to people who are willing to admit how bad things feel for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-m-just-grateful-to-people-who-are-willing-to-admit-how-bad-things/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I love it when television is shot in a cinematic way and I think to aspire to that is no bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-rhys/i-love-it-when-television-is-shot-in-a-cinematic-way-and-i-think-to/) [Matthew Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-rhys/) > [“Dear Delphine, When you are older I want you to find Chinua Achebe. I want you to read Things Fall Apart. Don't be hardheaded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-williams-garcia/dear-delphine-when-you-are-older-i-want-you-to-find-chinua-achebe-i/) [Rita Williams-Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-williams-garcia/) > [Lobbying is not a bad thing. I'm not trying to say that we shouldn't have lobbyists or we shouldn't have lobbying to petition our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/lobbying-is-not-a-bad-thing-i-m-not-trying-to-say-that-we-shouldn-t/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [In life, we don't know why things happen. I believe God is not responsible for the bad things that happen to you. Sometimes I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/in-life-we-don-t-know-why-things-happen-i-believe-god-is-not/) [Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/) [Browse all 2,889 Bad thing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "True friends say good things behind you back and bad things to your face.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mario Tomasello" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/true-friends-say-good-things-behind-you-back-and-bad-things-to-your/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad thing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/true-friends-say-good-things-behind-you-back-and-bad-things-to-your/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd2/mario-tomasello-4744_bad-thing_true-friends-say-good-things-behind-you_644559.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd2/mario-tomasello-4744_bad-thing_true-friends-say-good-things-behind-you_644559.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd2/mario-tomasello-4744_bad-thing_true-friends-say-good-things-behind-you_644559.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“True friends say good things behind you back and bad things to your face.” — Mario Tomasello", "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": "Mario Tomasello", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "True friends say good things behind...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/true-friends-say-good-things-behind-you-back-and-bad-things-to-your/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/true-friends-say-good-things-behind-you-back-and-bad-things-to-your/#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 } } ] } ```