This is another of the ten quotes that I recently found in a page that had the top ranking on Google for a search on Buddha quotes on friendship. All ten of the quotes in the page were fake, Hallmark-y stuff.
- Click here to see all ten fake Buddha quotes on friendship
- Click here to see genuine quotes by the Buddha on friendship
This one is often attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, but mysteriously she doesn’t seem to have been quoted saying this until 1999 or so, which was more than 35 years after her death. Since none of the people attributing this quote to the former First Spouse cite a source, I think we can fairly assume that this is an anonymous quote that has become attributed to a famous figure because it’s always more impressive to say that the words you’re quoting are from Eleanor Roosevelt, Einstein, or the Buddha than to say they’re from a Hallmark card.
And no, it’s not from the Buddha.
If you’d like to see some genuine quotes on friendship from the Buddhist scriptures, please check out my article, “10+ Genuine Buddha quotes on friendship,” over on Wildmind.