A true friend stabs you in the front
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Wilde suggests a true friend tells you harsh truths directly, not hidden criticism.
- In plain terms
- A real friend is honest, even if it hurts.
- What can you take from it?
- Value candid honesty in friendships.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When have you received a painful truth from a friend?
- How do you balance honesty and kindness?
Another view
Sometimes bluntness damages relationships.
More from Oscar Wilde
The only creative thought one can have in an institution is how to get out.
Permalink to quote #225 Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.
Permalink to quote #227 Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.
Permalink to quote #224
Related quotes
A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him I may think aloud.
Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson quote #121 There were times for absolute honesty between friends, but this wasn't one of them.
Orson Scott CardOrson Scott Card quote #275 Please don't lie to me, unless you're absolutely sure I'll never find out the truth.
Ashleigh BrilliantAshleigh Brilliant quote #1