They do not fall off in adversity. They have full confidence in each other. They never betray each other. Prosperity makes friends, adversity tries them. A selfless friend is a blessing; a selfish friend is a curse. The first is an angel and the second is a devil. One makes your career while the other mars it.
True friendship means great self-sacrifice on the part of both. A true friend foregoes pleasure and convenience. He goes out of his way and faces difficulties in his way with joy and even with pride.
The friendship between Krishna and Sudama is a classic example of genuine friendship. Joy and sorrow, success and failure, good fortune and misfortune, are equally shared by a pair of true friends.
They shoulder the burden of life equally for they feel that they sail in the same boat and that they have to sink and swim together.
A selfish friend is rich in words and poor in deeds. He talks tall but when you are in trouble, he leaves you in the lurch. A selfish friend is always after grinding his own axe. He does not love you, he only loves your riches. You give him a loan of money; you will lose not only the loan but also your friendship into the bargain.
A friend in need is the medicine of life. He stands by us through thick and thin, in weal and woe. He is a source of joy and inspiration. A friend in need is a true guide. He is always loyal and faithful. He is never a victim of misunderstanding.
He is not a flatterer and a yes man. He is open and plain. If his friend goes wrong, he will openly tell him that he should desist from such a course.
Lucky is the man who has a true friend-a friend in need and