--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He can have friends. It's parents he…" description: "\"“He can have friends. It's parents he can't have.”\" — Orson Scott Card" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/orson-scott-card-134_friends_he-can-have-friends-it-s-parents-he-can_1821731.png" --- # He can have friends. It's parents he can't have. ![“He can have friends. It's parents he can't have.” quote by Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/orson-scott-card-134_friends_he-can-have-friends-it-s-parents-he-can_1821731.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/orson-scott-card-134_friends_he-can-have-friends-it-s-parents-he-can_1821731.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/orson-scott-card-134_friends_he-can-have-friends-it-s-parents-he-can_1821731.png) > ““He can have friends. It's parents he can't have.”” [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A child can easily make friends, but parental approval is often unattainable. **In simple terms:** Friends are easy; parental love is hard. Key Takeaway Seek self‑validation beyond parental acceptance. Themes family friendship acceptance Mood thoughtful empathetic Type psychological fictional When to use this quote - adolescence - family counseling - peer support groups Key Concepts parental authority childhood development Questions to Reflect On - What relationships can replace parental approval? - How do you define self‑worth? A Different Perspective Parents may not be the only source of validation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Friends Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends-parents-496776/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Isolation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolation/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) ## Related quotes > [I have skated when I was a child, but it was just with our friends and our parents, no special technique.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saara-aalto/i-have-skated-when-i-was-a-child-but-it-was-just-with-our-friends-and/) [Saara Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saara-aalto/) > [I lost most of my friends. Their parents had told them to stay away from me, because they said I was crazy, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudette-colvin/i-lost-most-of-my-friends-their-parents-had-told-them-to-stay-away/) [Claudette Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudette-colvin/) > [“This is one of the harshest after effects of the pandemic that I am witnessing some and experiencing some, a diminished ability to deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shellen-lubin/this-is-one-of-the-harshest-after-effects-of-the-pandemic-that-i-am/) [Shellen Lubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shellen-lubin/) > [Why would I want to go on national television and talk about something as personal as infertility? Believe me, I wasn't always this open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alisyn-camerota/why-would-i-want-to-go-on-national-television-and-talk-about/) [Alisyn Camerota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alisyn-camerota/) > [I'm with my friends more than I'm with my parents, but I know more about my parents than I know about my friends. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-portman/i-m-with-my-friends-more-than-i-m-with-my-parents-but-i-know-more/) [Natalie Portman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-portman/) > [My friends' parents who were in the Marines, they were the people I looked up to the most. I looked up to them as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carmouche/my-friends-parents-who-were-in-the-marines-they-were-the-people-i/) [Liz Carmouche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carmouche/) > [When I come home, I am literally the most popular person with my friends' parents for doing 'The Archers.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/when-i-come-home-i-am-literally-the-most-popular-person-with-my/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [The one thing that was nice about being an only child is that my friends' parents would always ask me whether I would want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-bliss/the-one-thing-that-was-nice-about-being-an-only-child-is-that-my/) [Alexa Bliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-bliss/) > [I'm always interested to meet my friends' parents, or who they were raised by. Where they grew up, I always find very interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bett-rickards/i-m-always-interested-to-meet-my-friends-parents-or-who-they-were/) [Emily Bett Rickards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bett-rickards/) > [For years before I became a father, I would try to spend as much time as I could with my friends who were parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-flynn/for-years-before-i-became-a-father-i-would-try-to-spend-as-much-time/) [Nick Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-flynn/) > [“Shane never knew how to address her friends' parents. She wanted to call her Mrs. Eliot's Mom, but knew that the cutesiness would not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/shane-never-knew-how-to-address-her-friends-parents-she-wanted-to/) [Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/) > [It's just become such a business, getting into college. I see that a lot in my friends, their parents were so on top of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-wolff/it-s-just-become-such-a-business-getting-into-college-i-see-that-a/) [Nat Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-wolff/) > [If you don't go through life making excuses, you save yourself, your friends, and parents a lot of trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/if-you-don-t-go-through-life-making-excuses-you-save-yourself-your/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [It's hard to leave New York: this is where my friends are, my parents are. It is so vital. The whole world seems to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/it-s-hard-to-leave-new-york-this-is-where-my-friends-are-my-parents/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [“Some of the best friends you'll ever meet in your life, you'll meet though your children--mothers and fathers of their friends, parents from school.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/some-of-the-best-friends-you-ll-ever-meet-in-your-life-you-ll-meet/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) ## More by Orson Scott Card > [“You underestimate yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/you-underestimate-yourself/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Why did he hesitate? He finally admitted to himself that he was like an American child who was almost completely certain about Santa Claus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/why-did-he-hesitate-he-finally-admitted-to-himself-that-he-was-like/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“I don't know of a soul who doesn't maintain two separate lists of doctrines - the ones they believe they believe; and the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-don-t-know-of-a-soul-who-doesn-t-maintain-two-separate-lists-of/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Good people do not let others suffer needlessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/good-people-do-not-let-others-suffer-needlessly/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“What we've done is make the categories of science fiction and fantasy larger, freer, and more inclusive than any other genre of contemporary literature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/what-we-ve-done-is-make-the-categories-of-science-fiction-and-fantasy/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Where ideas are real and reality is shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/where-ideas-are-real-and-reality-is-shadow/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Ender, for the past few months you have been the battle commander of our fleets. This was the Third Invasion. There were no games,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/ender-for-the-past-few-months-you-have-been-the-battle-commander-of/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Science fiction is about what could be but isn't; fantasy is about what couldn't be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/science-fiction-is-about-what-could-be-but-isn-t-fantasy-is-about/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Knowledge is just opinion that you trust enough to act upon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/knowledge-is-just-opinion-that-you-trust-enough-to-act-upon/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Of course they accused Marcão of having done it without provocation—that’s the way of torturers of every age, to put the blame on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/of-course-they-accused-marc-o-of-having-done-it-without-provocation/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Civilization is only a pretense; in the crisis, we become mere apes again, forgetting the rational biped of our pretensions and becoming instead the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/civilization-is-only-a-pretense-in-the-crisis-we-become-mere-apes/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Where did this whole thing begin? If what we think of as reality is just a pattern that somebody brought Outside, and the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/where-did-this-whole-thing-begin-if-what-we-think-of-as-reality-is/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) [Explore all 1,158 Orson Scott Card quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) ## More Friends quotes > [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. It could just as easily have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/whatever-meaning-annie-s-song-had-for-me-on-a-personal-level-there/) [John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [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/) > [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [“Light it up, bitch.' 'Light it up, asshole,' ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/light-it-up-bitch-light-it-up-asshole/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [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/) > [I always bump into people that Ive met. Not great friends, but if I bump into somebody Ive known and I wont recognise them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-franchitti/i-always-bump-into-people-that-ive-met-not-great-friends-but-if-i/) [Dario Franchitti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-franchitti/) > [It's hard to be JUST FRIENDS with the ONE YOU LOVE when every time you look at that person, all you see is EVERYTHING…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-hard-to-be-just-friends-with-the-one-you-love-when-every-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [Family over friends, because real friends are family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/family-over-friends-because-real-friends-are-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [“Cops aren't really your friends, they are trying to be your friends but they are not… - They are searching evidence to PIN YOU.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deyth-banger/cops-aren-t-really-your-friends-they-are-trying-to-be-your-friends/) [Deyth Banger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deyth-banger/) > [“Don’t waste your time trying to explain yourself to people that are committed to misunderstanding you. Instead, commit your time to explaining who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-waste-your-time-trying-to-explain-yourself-to-people-that-are/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Back home I get to see my old friends!(: But they don't understand the change in me and I can't explain it to them...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/back-home-i-get-to-see-my-old-friends-but-they-don-t-understand-the/) [Jade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade/) [Browse all 13,428 Friends quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He can have friends. It's parents he can't have.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Orson Scott Card" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/he-can-have-friends-it-s-parents-he-can-t-have/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Friends" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/he-can-have-friends-it-s-parents-he-can-t-have/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/orson-scott-card-134_friends_he-can-have-friends-it-s-parents-he-can_1821731.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/orson-scott-card-134_friends_he-can-have-friends-it-s-parents-he-can_1821731.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/orson-scott-card-134_friends_he-can-have-friends-it-s-parents-he-can_1821731.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He can have friends. It's parents he can't have.” — Orson Scott Card", "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": "Orson Scott Card", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“He can have friends. It's parents...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/he-can-have-friends-it-s-parents-he-can-t-have/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/he-can-have-friends-it-s-parents-he-can-t-have/#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 } } ] } ```