proverb · Legacy record
In times of prosperity friends will be plenty, in times of adversity not one in twenty.
In times of prosperity friends will be plenty, in times of adversity not one in twenty.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying contrasts numerous friends in prosperity with very few in adversity. It questions whether apparent companionship endures when advantages disappear.
What the words are saying
The one-in-twenty figure makes the contrast sharp rather than establishing a measured survival rate for friendship. A useful interpretation examines actual support and circumstances without assuming all absence is opportunism. People may care while lacking resources or availability, and wealth does not prove friendship genuine or false.
Everyday example
Someone distinguishes sustained support from flattering attention while asking what each friend could realistically offer.
When to use it
Use it to examine the quality of a particular relationship under changing circumstances.
Put a useful idea into practice: try the free seven-day guide ↗
What it does not mean
No friendship statistic or universal abandonment during hardship is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 857; PDF page 120
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.