“A friend to everyone is a friend to no one”: meaning, origin and examples
What it means
The phrase suggests that someone who tries to be friends with everyone may lack the capacity to form meaningful, deep connections with individuals. It implies that spreading oneself too thin can result in superficial friendships without loyalty or genuine bonds.
Tone Cautionary
Where it comes from
The phrase is often attributed to Aristotle, who discussed themes of friendship and virtue in his works, particularly emphasizing the quality over the quantity of friendships.
Examples
- John tries to please everyone in the office, but I fear he’s a friend to everyone and a friend to no one.
- In trying to avoid conflict with anyone, he became a friend to everyone and a friend to no one.
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