In time of prosperity friends will be plenty, In time of adversity, not one among twenty.

Understand the thought

Meaning in plain English

Prosperity may attract companions who are less willing to stay during difficulty. The contrast asks whose friendship includes support when advantages disappear, rather than treating its numerical claim as a measured fact.

What the words are saying

The two situations test what brings people together. When someone is doing well, company can be easy to find; adversity may reveal whether that company depended on benefits rather than affection. The reference to one among twenty gives the warning rhetorical force, but supplies no reliable proportion of friendships that will fail. Nor does the saying establish that every absent friend is disloyal: people may face difficulties themselves or not know what help is wanted. A useful reading looks at patterns of care over time and makes needs clear where possible. It questions conditional companionship without making hardship a reason to distrust everyone.

Everyday example

After losing a regular venue, a music group notices which friends still help find rehearsal space even though there are no performances to attend.

When to use it

Use it when distinguishing convenient companionship from friendship that lasts through difficulty.

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Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.