--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I lend I am a friend, when I ask I…" description: "\"When I lend I am a friend, when I ask I am a foe.\" — Proverb" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/proverb-957_friendship_when-i-lend-i-am-a-friend-when-i-ask-i-a_1787469.jpg" --- # When I lend I am a friend, when I ask I am a foe. ![“When I lend I am a friend, when I ask I am a foe.” quote by Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/proverb-957_friendship_when-i-lend-i-am-a-friend-when-i-ask-i-a_1787469.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/proverb-957_friendship_when-i-lend-i-am-a-friend-when-i-ask-i-a_1787469.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/proverb-957_friendship_when-i-lend-i-am-a-friend-when-i-ask-i-a_1787469.jpg) > “When I lend I am a friend, when I ask I am a foe.” Proverb ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A proverb stating that lending creates friendship, while asking creates enmity, warning against exploiting generosity. **In simple terms:** Lending builds friendship; asking creates enemies. Key Takeaway Offer help without expecting repayment. Themes generosity trust social contracts Mood cautionary thoughtful reflective Type proverb advice When to use this quote - personal finance - community building - conflict prevention Key Concepts reciprocity relationship dynamics social norms Questions to Reflect On - When have you experienced generosity turning into resentment? - How can you balance giving and asking responsibly? A Different Perspective The saying may oversimplify complex social exchanges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) ## Related quotes > [Lend your friend $20. If he doesn't pay you back then he's not your friend. Money well spent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nicholas/lend-your-friend-20-if-he-doesn-t-pay-you-back-then-he-s-not-your/) [Ted Nicholas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nicholas/) > [“A literary work ... is, during the time one reads it, a friend with whom one has chosen to spend one's time. The question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-booth/a-literary-work-is-during-the-time-one-reads-it-a-friend-with-whom/) Wayne Booth > [You dont say you love me to your friend when they ask you. Even though we both know that you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/you-dont-say-you-love-me-to-your-friend-when-they-ask-you-even-though/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [I'm a girl's girl through and through so having a friend by my side, there's nothing I could ask more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabby-windey/i-m-a-girl-s-girl-through-and-through-so-having-a-friend-by-my-side/) [Gabby Windey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabby-windey/) > [A friend who won't respond to what a friend can't ask is like a looking glass in which you cannot see yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-sharpe/a-friend-who-won-t-respond-to-what-a-friend-can-t-ask-is-like-a/) [Matthew Sharpe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-sharpe/) > [Never ask, "Who is my real friend?" Ask, "Am I a real friend to somebody?" That is the right question. Always be concerned with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/never-ask-who-is-my-real-friend-ask-am-i-a-real-friend-to-somebody/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [My bestfriend is no longer my best friend ask me why and ima cry.. to tell yhu the truth she doesnt like me anymore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie/my-bestfriend-is-no-longer-my-best-friend-ask-me-why-and-ima-cry-to/) [Marie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie/) > [You Can tell someones your best friend, when they ask you if your okay, you say yes, and they still know somethings wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/you-can-tell-someones-your-best-friend-when-they-ask-you-if-your-okay/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“❤️A true friend would never ask more of you than themselves or ever risk putting you into any type of danger whether it's mental,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/a-true-friend-would-never-ask-more-of-you-than-themselves-or-ever/) [Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/) > [AwKwarD MoMenT wHen you aRe In cLassRooM anD youR frienD aSk chaL susu kaR ke aTe Hai… AnD oTher unKoWn BoY LisTen..your TaLk...O :p…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-noottee-pandey/awkward-moment-when-you-are-in-classroom-and-your-friend-ask-chal/) [Shubham Noottee Pandey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-noottee-pandey/) > [Gangster is the truest friend I can ever ask for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/gangster-is-the-truest-friend-i-can-ever-ask-for/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [“A favored bit from "A Legend of Good Men" "My mother and I each had our routines. She taught high school, took long hikes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-vann/a-favored-bit-from-a-legend-of-good-men-my-mother-and-i-each-had-our/) [David Vann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-vann/) > [A friend will ask you if you are okay but a best friend will listen and comfort you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-friend-will-ask-you-if-you-are-okay-but-a-best-friend-will-listen/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll know a real friend when they'd rather ask than assume, and when they'd rather sought for the truth, than believe blabbermouths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atidalpus/you-ll-know-a-real-friend-when-they-d-rather-ask-than-assume-and-when/) Atidalpus > [Grown-ups love figures... When you tell them you've made a new friend they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/grown-ups-love-figures-when-you-tell-them-you-ve-made-a-new-friend/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) ## More by Proverb > [Tide and time wait for no man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/tide-and-time-wait-for-no-man/) Proverb > [Less of your courtesy and more of your purse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/less-of-your-courtesy-and-more-of-your-purse/) Proverb > [Keep your head above water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/keep-your-head-above-water/) Proverb > [Reasonable people can differ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/reasonable-people-can-differ/) Proverb > [Home is home, be it ever so humble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/home-is-home-be-it-ever-so-humble/) Proverb > [Beggars fear no rebellion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/beggars-fear-no-rebellion/) Proverb > [We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. -Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from-our-ancestors-we-borrow-it-from-our/) Proverb > [God helps three sorts of people: fools, children and drunkards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/god-helps-three-sorts-of-people-fools-children-and-drunkards/) Proverb > [It is not only necessary to love, it is necessary to say so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/it-is-not-only-necessary-to-love-it-is-necessary-to-say-so/) Proverb > [No one ever kicks a dead dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/no-one-ever-kicks-a-dead-dog/) Proverb > [The truth is no slander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/the-truth-is-no-slander/) Proverb > [Men that have much business must have much pardon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/men-that-have-much-business-must-have-much-pardon/) Proverb > [The art is not in making money, but in keeping it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/the-art-is-not-in-making-money-but-in-keeping-it/) Proverb > [There are two sides to every coin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/there-are-two-sides-to-every-coin/) Proverb > [He who governs by his moral excellence may be compared to the Pole star which abides in its place while all other stars bow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/he-who-governs-by-his-moral-excellence-may-be-compared-to-the-pole/) Proverb Explore all 318 Proverb quotes ## 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": "When I lend I am a friend, when I ask I am a foe.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Proverb" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/when-i-lend-i-am-a-friend-when-i-ask-i-am-a-foe/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Friend" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/when-i-lend-i-am-a-friend-when-i-ask-i-am-a-foe/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/proverb-957_friendship_when-i-lend-i-am-a-friend-when-i-ask-i-a_1787469.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/proverb-957_friendship_when-i-lend-i-am-a-friend-when-i-ask-i-a_1787469.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/proverb-957_friendship_when-i-lend-i-am-a-friend-when-i-ask-i-a_1787469.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I lend I am a friend, when I ask I am a foe.” — Proverb", "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": "Proverb", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/proverb/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I lend I am a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/when-i-lend-i-am-a-friend-when-i-ask-i-am-a-foe/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/when-i-lend-i-am-a-friend-when-i-ask-i-am-a-foe/#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 } } ] } ```