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Every person has many things without which his life would be empty and meaningless. These are spiritual and moral values, family, love, and, of course, friendship. “An old friend is better than two new ones,” says the famous Russian proverb. Moreover, such a friend, or better yet more than one, is needed by a child, a schoolchild, an endlessly busy businessman, a rich man, and an old man who has retired.
True friendship is always based on the common interests of people, on mutual support, trust and mutual understanding in any life situations. If people have no common interests and have practically nothing to talk about, they will never become true friends, but, at best, will be just buddies.
A true friend will not constantly talk about his problems - he will definitely listen to you first. Moreover, it is not necessary to discuss any problems with him. It's always a good time to have a good time, relax and have fun with a true friend. Communication with a friend will not be stressful and you can spend hours on end with him without worrying that he is tired of you. True friends are known not only in trouble, but also in joy.
Unfortunately, many of us do not value our friends and believe that we can get by just hanging out with our friends. Such people remember true friends only in the hours of their misfortunes and troubles. Of course, their friends most often respond to requests for help, advice and support, but they have every right to refuse this. It is safe to say that someday in the lives of such people there will come a moment when they feel that they are missing something, something very dear and close, as if parts of the soul are a true friend. The main thing is that it is not too late.
You won't be able to buy a friend or just find one on the street. Friendship does not arise immediately, and these complex relationships develop over more than one day. They do not arise like love at first sight - right away and out of nothing. Friendship needs to be built over a long period of time, laying out every brick, every step. This is very hard work - to gain the trust of a person and make a friendship with him, strengthen it and then maintain it for a long time and not lose it.
The ability to be a true friend is also not given to everyone. For example, vain, proud and materialistic people are unlikely to be capable of true friendship. This is understandable, because they love only themselves and in friendship they try to find only their own benefit.
Friendship is very important to me. I hope that it is also important to my best friend, whom I respect and appreciate very much. My old friend is one of the dearest people in my life, and under no circumstances do I want to lose him. I spent a lot of time with him, I know him well, I am sure that he will never let me down. But in any other person with whom I communicate and consider my friend, I am so unsure. Therefore, you should never forget old friends; you should find at least a few minutes of free time to call your friend on the phone and ask how he is doing.
Call your old friends, ask about their plans, problems, health, invite them to visit and spend as much time as possible with them. And most importantly, never betray your friends and always remember that an old friend is better than two new ones.
Proverb: An old friend is better than two new ones.
Proverbs with similar meanings and analogues:
- If you don’t have a friend, so look for him, but if you find him, take care of him.
- Not explored - friend, but explored - two.
- Friendship is tested by time.
- Make your friends, but don’t lose your father’s.
- Birds are strong with their wings, and people are strong with their friendship.
Interpretation of the meaning of the proverb, meaning
They say that friendship is tested by time and distance. This is what the proverb says. True friends become people who have experienced a lot of grief and joy together, but despite everything remained faithful to each other. Long-time friends know each other very well, their relationships are clearly defined and understandable. Only a true, faithful friend is able to come to the rescue at any moment. He will not stab in the back and talk about a person behind his back. Good friends remain faithful to each other for many years. Their relationships are time-tested, so it’s easier to communicate with a person you’ve known for a long time.
But people who barely know each other are unlikely to become close friends. Nothing is known about their loyalty and devotion. Without knowing people, their feelings, interests and emotions, it is impossible to say what they are like.
It is not clear how an unfamiliar person will behave in a given situation; it is not known what to expect from him.
A person can turn to old friends in the most unforeseen cases, knowing that they will not be denied help and support. As you know, a friend is a friend in need, so friendship with a trusted person is more preferable. It is necessary to take a closer look at new people in the company, and only after some time it will be possible to understand how close they will become and whether they will become. At the same time, one should not scatter friends, neither new nor old, because it is unknown what awaits a person in life. Here it would be fair to mention another famous Russian proverb: Don’t have a hundred rubles, but have a hundred friends.
The proverb “An old friend is better than two new ones” is used in speech when they want to emphasize the value of long-standing friendship. A person may have many friends, but there are not so many real friends.
Usually the expression “An old friend is better than two new ones” sounds like an edification to those who, forgetting close people, are looking for the company of new, and, as it sometimes seems, more interesting acquaintances. You can hear these words from a person who repented of having neglected this folk wisdom.
About the meaning of the proverb “An old friend is better than two new ones”
For the first time this proverb saw the light of day in printed form in “Proverbs and Russian sayings of the Russian people” by V.I. Dahl in 1853. Its meaning is that you should value the constancy of time-tested relationships, but you should not rely on little-known people who have not yet proven themselves in difficult circumstances - in relation to you or others.
The saying can be illustrated using the example of a situation when a person gets a new job; At the same time, his circle of contacts expands, and attention is now concentrated more on new acquaintances and colleagues rather than on old friends or even relatives, who seem to become less significant or even unnecessary. Most often, this phenomenon is temporary, gradually everything returns to normal, and then words are heard about friends who begin to be valued even more. The main thing is that the situation does not go too far, when words are no longer needed, and there are no more friends - neither old nor new.
Writers often turned to this aphorism - V.A. Zhukovsky in “Epigrams”, A.N. Ostrovsky in the comedy of the same name, A.F. Pisemsky in “The Troubled Sea”, A.G. Aleksin in “A Scary Story”; A song with such lines was written based on the poems of E. Yevtushenko, they can be heard from the stage and from the screen.
Analogues of expressions in the languages of the world
The fact that this wisdom is truly folk is also evidenced by numerous foreign analogues:
Old friends and old wine are the best (English) - Old friends and old wine are the best.
Ein alter Freund ist zwei neue wert (German) – One old friend is worth two new ones.
Un amigo viejo vale por cien nueves (Spanish) – One old friend is better than a hundred new ones.
However, even folk wisdom ceases to be wisdom if it is perceived as an absolute and immutable dogma. It is a great success if devoted, beloved and loving people go hand in hand with us all our lives, but time, circumstances, our environment, ourselves change, and perhaps it is wiser to adhere to a more flexible analogue of the proverb - “Make new friends, but not old ones.” lose"?
An old friend is better than two new ones.
Proverbs of the Russian people. - M.: Fiction.
V. I. Dal.
1989. See what "An old friend is better than two new ones." in other dictionaries:
Wed. An old friend is better than two new ones, said (the owner) when Baklanov passed by him. Pisemsky. A troubled sea. 4, 6. Wed. Experienced friends for new ones to forget There is color to prefer to fruit. Zhukovsky. Epigrams. Wed. Quam veterrumu st tam... ... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary
An old friend is better than two new ones. Wed. An old friend is better than two new ones, said (the owner) when Baklanov passed by him. Pisemsky. A troubled sea. 4, 6. Wed. To forget tried and tested friends for new ones. There is a color to prefer to fruit. Zhukovsky…
Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling) An old friend is better than two new ones. Old love is remembered. See LOVE DISLOVE...
OLD, long-term (many days and centuries), ·opposite. new. An old house, built a long time ago, standing for a long time. An old friend is better than two new ones. Novgorod is an old city, ancient. Old man, opposite. young and middle-aged, elderly,... ... An old friend is better than two new ones. Old love is remembered. See LOVE DISLOVE...
Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary And the other, ·meaning. same, equal, different me, different you; neighbor, every person to another. Don't wish for a friend what you don't wish for yourself. Love one another, be forgiving to one another or to one another, to one another or to another. For each other, and God for... ...
Old, old; old, old, old. 1. Having reached old age; opposite young. An old man. “An old horse won’t spoil the furrow.” Proverb. “I’m old, sir, today: what should I do at court?” Pushkin. 2. Starikovsky, senile; opposite young … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
BETTER. 1. compare to adj. good and adv. Fine. Life has become better, comrades. “Life has become more fun.” Stalin. Your room is better than ours. "An old friend is better than two new ones." (last) He's better now. As best as possible. He speaks better than he writes. 2.… … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
The friendship score does not spoil. The expense of friendship is not a hindrance. More often the score, longer (stronger) friendship. I would feed the wolf if I ate grass. The enemy wants to take off your head, but God won’t give you even a hair. They build towers for each other, but foes build coffins for each other. I loved him like... IN AND. Dal. Proverbs of the Russian people
Books
- An old friend is better than two new ones, Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky. Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky is to this day the most popular Russian playwright. He is being filmed and performances based on his plays are staged. It seems that only when the plays were born...
- An old friend is better than two new ones, Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky. Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky is to this day the most popular Russian playwright. He is being filmed and performances based on his plays are staged. It seems that only when the plays were born...
Everyone can characterize its meaning differently, but the meaning always remains the same - complete mutual understanding and support in any current situation. When we feel bad, we turn to our friend for help, when we feel good, we are also the first to notify our friend about joyful events. In a word, without a true friend, it’s like without water - neither here nor there. Wherever you are, you should constantly feel him mentally next to you.
A friend is an ambulance under any circumstances. Only he has the right to understand our state of mind, give sensible advice and simply help us get out of a dead end in life. True, a true friend is very difficult to find. Most likely, this is not just a find, but a gift of fate. According to ancient Chinese prescriptions, behavior is given by heaven, and if a person does not know how to behave, then he will not have a devoted comrade.
In our world, true friendship is when you constantly feel the support of an old friend next to you. It is an old friend who is a reliable support. This is a trusted friend who, despite the time, still remains with you, bringing joy and practical advice. Of course, getting such a friend is quite problematic. You can't buy it with money and you won't receive it as a birthday present. However, many of us have an old friend whom we are certainly very happy about. With its help, you can move mountains, knowing that behind your back is a loyal and trusted acquaintance over the years.
It says: “An old friend is better than two new ones.” And this is not just a statement, it is a fact confirmed by life. Consider the following situation. One girl named Tatyana lived only with illusions about real friendship, not knowing its real signs. Ever since school, next to her was a girl of ordinary appearance, whose name was Olya. She was always ready to come to the rescue of her friend: she gave her to copy, did her homework, and wrote beautiful love notes. School years are over. The girls entered different universities. Nevertheless, our “little little mouse” never forgot about her beautiful friend, who, unlike her, had long ago put her school assistant out of her head. Tatyana looked for and selected girlfriends based on her wallet and love affairs. She believed that it was these fashionistas with whom she completely coincided with her views on life who were her friends. Several years have passed. Her old friend Olya called Tatiana every month. Tanya didn’t like this; she believed that with the end of school came the end of her friendship with Olga. Olya was a shy girl, so she tried not to make acquaintances with peers. For her, Tanya still remained an idol and true friend. But soon a misfortune happened. Tatyana felt bad and was admitted to the hospital. One kidney transplant was required. But who will become the donor? Time quickened its pace, Tanya faded every day. None of her friends came to see her at the hospital. Only Olya, having learned that Tanya was in trouble, immediately flew to her room. Tatyana burst into tears, but Olga consoled her as best she could. In addition, Olga, as an old friend of Tanya, sacrificed her kidney for the sake of her friend. Operation was successfully completed. Soon Tatyana returned to the university. After such an incident, she realized that her old friend Olga was a gift from fate itself, which it was simply a sin to refuse. How many insults Olga suffered from Tanya, but still she proved her devotion not in words, but in deeds.
As you can see, an old friend is a person who will sacrifice a lot for you. There may be many friends, but an old friend is better than a new one, and this is certainly true. Remember, it is better to have one old friend than many new comrades. You don't know them, and neither do they know you.
