Friends, old and new, bring all sorts of unique experiences to our lives, filling our days with laughter, comfort, and companionship. Regardless of whether you’re celebrating a budding friendship or trying to figure out the contrast between long-time and newly found friends, these quotes will touch your heart and remind you of the treasure that friendships truly are.
If you’re in a phase of life where you’re seeking new friends, having a hard time finding them, or simply enjoying the fun of making new friends, we have something for you.
Sections
- Deep quotes
- Old and new friends
- New friends in adulthood
- Making new friends
- When you need new friends
- Funny and cute
Deep quotes about new friendships
Just like those deep lyrics that speak to your heart, friendships too have an essence that’s often hard to put into words. We’ve gathered quotes that beautifully capture the depth and magic of those initial moments with a new friend.
1. “What draws people to be friends is that they see the same truth. They share it.” ― C. S. Lewis
2. “Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit.” ― Aristotle
3. “The great thing about new friends is that they bring new energy to your soul.” ― Shanna Rodriguez
4. “In a new friend we start life anew, for we create a new edition of ourselves and so become, for the time being, a new creature.” ― D.E. Stevenson
5. “Each new friendship can make you a new person because it opens up new doors inside of you.” ― Kate DiCamillo
6. “Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” ― Anais Nin
7. “The kindest way of helping yourself is to find a friend.” ― Ann Kaiser Stearns
8. “Friendship involves many things but, above all the power of going outside oneself and appreciating what is noble and loving in another.” ― Thomas Huxley
9. “A friend may be waiting behind a stranger’s face.” ― Maya Angelou
10. “Practice corporeal politics. Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen. Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make new friends and march with them.” ― Timothy Snyder
11. “Happiness? I look for it instead in today, where memory is something I can still touch, still rely on. I find it in the smiles of new friends, the hope blossoming inside.” ― Ellen Hopkins
12. “The two families, sundered in the ruin of a friendship, were united again first in new friendship and then in marriage. My grandfather made a peace here that has joined many who would otherwise have been divided. I am the child of his forgiveness.” ― Wendell Berry
13. “All true friendliness begins with fire and food and drink and the recognition of rain or frost.” ― G.K. Chesterton
14. “Right now, someone you haven’t met is out there wondering what it would be like to meet someone like you.” ― Unknown
15. “The merry recognition of a new soul emerging and gracing our lives is a profound experience.” ― Tara Bianca
16. “Prayer, it seems, disposes us to new friendship, in that it more and more lays us open to experience from any source, makes us sensitive to every aspect of existence, every leaf, every ray of light, every sorrow, every pain.” ― Emilie Griffin
17. “There can be no friendship without confidence, and no confidence without integrity.” ― Samuel Johnson
18. “It’s hard when friendships end, but endings lead to new beginnings and new friendships.” ― Jessica Speer
19. “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” ― C.S. Lewis
20. “[She] had felt straight away that she wasn’t meeting a new friend, but recognizing an old one.” ― Charles de Lint
21. “Every new friend is a new journey, through a brand new road, toward a brand new mysterious heart.” ― Debasish Mridha
22. “Through my writing, I have made new friends and continued to learn about this world of ours in all its wonder, with all its challenges.” ― Sonia Levitin
23. “Our world is not homogenous. It is not all straight or white or able-bodied, or if it is, maybe you should make some new friends. That is not what our world looks like.” ― Leigh Bardugo
You might also be interested in some tips to deepen your bond with someone.
Quotes about old and new friends
While our old friends remind us of where we’ve been and the memories we’ve shared, new friends bring fresh stories and exciting adventures to the table. Celebrate both the nostalgia of longstanding friendships and the thrill of forming new bonds with these quotes.
1. “Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold.” ― Joseph Parry
2. “I’ve kept most of my friends for decades, and I continue to make new friends.” ― John Grant
3. “There’s a popular belief that people age out of this desire to make friends. They get married or have kids or get a demanding job, and see their free time shrink. They make a choice to focus on the people they already know rather than trying to meet new friends. But even on the other side of the big life event, people can find themselves looking around and wishing they had more friendships rooted in deep connection.” ― Aminatou Sow & Ann Friedman
4. “I have no talent for making new friends, but oh such genius for fidelity to old ones.” ― Daphne du Maurier
“We need old friends to help us grow old and new friends to help us stay young.” ― Letty Cottin Pogrebin
5. “New friends can often have a better time together than old friends.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald
6. “Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend – or a meaningful day.” ― Dalai Lama
7. “There’s not a word yet for old friends who’ve just met.” ― Jim Henson
8. Every friend you have now was once a stranger, although not every stranger becomes a friend.” ― Israelmore Ayivor
9. “You can go through life and make new friends every year – every month practically – but there was never any substitute for those friendships of childhood that survive into adult years. Those are the ones in which we are bound to one another with hoops of steel.” ― Alexander McCall Smith
10. “You will lose some friends and lovers, and realize you don’t miss them. And new ones will find you and cherish you.” ― Audre Lorde
11. “It is easy to say how we love new friends, and what we think of them, but words can never trace out all the fibers that knit us to the old.” ― George Eliot
12. “The hard fact of friendship is that you need to make time for new friends by first stripping out the people who are using your energy in an unsatisfying way. You have to take that risk of being friendless to make room in your life for others who will be your new best friends.” ― Maggie Stiefvater
13. “It’s possible to go months without seeing a longtime friend and still feel close to them, but new friends require steady investment.” ― Aminatou Sow
14. After a certain age, it can become difficult to make new friends. The world can begin to feel lonely and sparse, teeming though it may be with freshly minted young souls.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert
15. Christopher Robin thought and, after a long time, said: ‘Well, I like new friends because you never quite know what they’ll do next. But I like old friends, too, because, however long you’ve known them, you are always discovering things you didn’t know before’.” ― Brian Sibley
16. “For a long time, I’d searched the world, thinking I could start up new friendships like the ones I’d had before. But I never met people like that again. I know people will think that’s what everyone believes about their college friends, but it’s true. Maybe we’re like flowers that open up at that brief moment in our lives, and after that, we close up again, one by one.” ― Jennifer Finney Boylan
17. “That’s the thing about knowing someone your entire life. You have a common history; it binds, provides a depth that new friendships, new loves, can never create. It lets two folks be in the room together without having to explain their silences. Or their passions.” ― Jessica Maria Tuccelli
18. “Old friends are old, new friends are diamond, If you get a diamond, don’t forget the gold, Because to hold a diamond in a ring, you always need a base of gold.” ― Unknown
19. “Though you are in your shining days,
Voices among the crowd
And new friends busy with your praise,
Be not unkind or proud,
But think about old friends the most:
Time’s bitter flood will rise,
Your beauty perish and be lost
For all eyes but these eyes.”
― William Butler Yeats
Old or new, you might like to know all about the four levels of friendship according to science.
New friends in adulthood quotes
1. “Strangers are just friends waiting to happen.” ― Rod Mckuen
2. “It’s not too late to develop new friendships or reconnect with people.” ― Morrie Schwartz
3. “Don’t make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make friends who will force you to lever yourself up.” ― Thomas J. Watson
4. “Grown-ups love figures… When you tell them you’ve made a new friend they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you, “What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?” Instead, they demand: “How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make?” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
5. Try to make new friends, even when you think you’re too old to do that. ― Lisa Lutz
6. “Don’t be afraid of new beginnings. Don’t shy away from new people, new energy, new surroundings. Embrace new chances at happiness.” ― Billy Chapata
7. “A new friend is always a miracle, but at thirty-three years old, such a bird of paradise rising in the sage-brush was an avatar. One friend in a lifetime is much; two are many; three are hardly possible.” ― Henry Adams
8. “Close friendships with girls come early in life. After thirty it becomes harder to make new friends — there are fewer hopes, dreams or anticipations to share.” ― Jacqueline Susann
9. “What most people fear when they think of old age is the inability to make new friends. If one ever had the faculty of making friends one never loses it however old one grows.” ― Henry Miller
10. “It is a sad but unavoidable fact of life,” he began, “that as we age our social circles grow smaller. Whether from increased habit or diminished vigor, we suddenly find ourselves in the company of just a few familiar faces. So I view it as an incredible stroke of good fortune at this stage in my life to have found such a fine new friend.” ― Amor Towles
11. “Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant.” ― Socrates
Making new friends quotes
Making friends when we’re kids seems like a breeze, right? But as adults forging new friendships can feel like learning a new dance—exciting but a bit tricky! The connections we build during adulthood often come from shared challenges, growth, and understanding that our younger selves might not have grasped.
1. “Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make them.” ― Francesco Guicciardini
2. “Getting to know new people and gaining new friends is one of life’s greatest pleasures. So conquer your fears and get out there.” ― Tony Clark
3. “When I’m traveling, I always look for a dance studio. It’s a great workout and a wonderful way to meet new friends in the community.” ― Rachel Boston
4. “Listen, learn, and grow. Maybe after this, you will have a new friend.” ― Xin-An Lu.
5. “Every new friend is a new adventure….the start of more memories.” ― Patrick Lindsay
6. “Many a time from a bad beginning great friendships have sprung up.” ― Terence
7. “Sincere deeds invite new friends.” ― Toba Beta
8. “The possibilities of making new friends help to make life very fascinating.” ― L.M. Montgomery
9. Don’t wait for friends to come to you; start acting like a friendly person now and you can develop new friendships.” ― Amy Morin
10. “Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.” ― Anais Nin
11. “I love making new friends and I respect people for a lot of different reasons.” ― Taylor Swift
12. “You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” ― A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
13. “Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make them.” ― Francesco Guicciardini
14. “Blessed are they who have the gift of making friends, for it is one of God’s best gifts. It involves many things, but above all, the power of going out of one’s self, and appreciating whatever is noble and loving in another.” ―Thomas Hughes
15. “You don’t have to talk; you don’t have to agree on anything; all you have to do is smile! Smiling breaks barriers; it eases tension, and it’s the first step to making a new friend.” ― Tom Giaquinto
16. “Developing new friendships will mean changing some of the attitudes you have learned about other people and letting go of perfectionism.” ― Marlene Winell
17. “New friendship memo: For us there would be no arbitrary rules, obligations, or expectations. We would not owe each other anything other than admiration, respect, love.” ― Glennon Doyle
18. “Individuals who were more or less happy with themselves, secure in their own souls, usually opened themselves to new friendships. It was those whose ancestry and native status were their only hopes for distinction who tended to be critical and cold toward “new people.” ― Noah Gordon
19. “An advantage of telling rapport-building stories is that it does make people feel better, and it also forges new friendships.” ― Matt Morris
20. “Being a nerd, which is to say going too far and caring too much about a subject, is the best way to make friends I know.” ― Sarah Vowell
21. “You meet people who forget you. You forget people you meet. But sometimes you meet those people you can’t forget. Those are your friends.” ― Unknown
22. “The happiest business in all the world is that of making friends, and no investment on the street pays larger dividends, for life is more than stocks and bonds, and love than rate percent, and he who gives in friendship’s name shall reap what he has.” ― Unknown
23. “I’ve never been socially outgoing, but I suspect I’ve gotten more and more ambivalent about making new friends. I’m irritated by how-do-you-do chit-chat, but that’s how new relationships usually begin.” ― Ariel Gore
24. “There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.” ― W.B. Yeats
25. “Each new friend gives rise to the possibility of anything!” ― Stephen Richards
26. “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” ― Dale Carnegie
27. “This girl has the spark of life. This is my primary filter for new friends (girl- and otherwise) and the highest compliment I can pay.” ― Robin Sloan
28. “Some souls just understand each other upon meeting.” ― N.R. Hart
29. “Tell me something only you know and make a new friend.” ― Dejan Stojanovic
30. “Trust is hard to come by. That’s why my circle is small and tight. I’m kind of funny about making new friends.” ― Eminem
31. “I don’t have time for new friends, and I don’t want to be friends with someone only online.” ― Mads Mikkelsen
32. “I have to get out of the habit of jumping into relationships with new friends before I really get to know them.” ― Cynthia Bailey
33. “A shared cup of laughter, dear Reader, is the sunbeam that causes the flower of friendship to open its petals and peep out.” ― Millie Florence
If you find it hard to make new friends, you might like to know how to make friends when you’re shy.
When you need new friends quotes
While it might feel a bit nerve-wracking at first, the joy of connecting with someone new is absolutely worth the effort! We’ve rounded up some motivating words to inspire and celebrate the adventure of meeting new people. Whether you’re a social butterfly or a bit shy, these quotes will remind you of the awesome feeling that comes with expanding your social circle.
1. “The best time to make friends is before you need them.” ― Ethel Barrymore
2. “If a friend tells you “You can’t do that”, and makes you believe it, then I believe you should get a new friend.” ― Joseph Julius Bonkowski
3. “I need a new friend. I need a friend, period. Not a true friend, nothing close or share clothes or sleepover giggle giggle yak yak. Just a pseudo-friend, disposable friend. Friend as accessory. Just so I don’t feel or look so stupid.” ― Laurie Halse Anderson
4. “As a young boy in a new country, you had to make new friends, and that was really difficult.” ― Victor Moses
5. “When you’re all alone in a world that hates and fears you, you want to find others like yourself. New friends. Elite friends.” ― Marie Lu
6. “We need new friends; some of us are cannibals who have eaten their old friends up; others must have ever-renewed audiences before whom to re-enact the ideal version of their lives.” ― Logan Pearsall Smith
Funny and cute quotes about new friendships
We all have those moments with new friends that make us burst out laughing or leave us with a big goofy smile. Friendships, especially the fresh ones, come with their share of hilarious memories and cute mishaps. We’ve lined up quotes that will tickle your funny bone and warm your heart. These are perfect for sharing with your latest buddy or just enjoying a light-hearted stroll down memory lane.
1. “One of the nicest things about new friends is they haven’t heard your old stories yet.” ― Michael Brickey
2. “Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship, and it is far the best ending for one.” ― Oscar Wilde
3. “You know a real friend? Someone you know will look after your cat after you are gone.” ― William S. Burroughs
4. “Everyone you meet knows something you don’t know but need to know. Learn from them.” ― C.G. Jung
5. “I’ve got a new friend, all right. But what a gamble friendship is! Charlotte is fierce, brutal, scheming, bloodthirsty—everything I don’t like. How can I learn to like her, even though she is pretty and, of course, clever?” ― E.B. White
6. “I always like to know everything about my new friends, and nothing about my old ones.” ― Oscar Wilde
7. “I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
8. “A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship.” ― Markus Zusak
9. “I had found a new friend. The surprising thing is where I’d found him – not up a tree or sulking in the shade, or splashing around in one of the hill streams, but in a book.” ― Lloyd Jones
10. “Damn, Atlantean, what did you do? (Julian)
I apparently made a new friend. (Acheron)
I made a friend like that once. The bastard almost gutted me. (Julian)”
― Sherrilyn Kenyon
11. “New-made friendships, like new wine, age will mellow and refine.” ― Joseph Parry
12. “If you go looking for a friend, you’re going to find they’re very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.” ― Zig Ziglar
13. “I don’t need therapy. I need new friends.” ― Unknown
14. “The capacity for friendship is God’s way of apologizing for our families.” ― Jay McInerney
15. “HOROSCOPE:
Today is a good time for making new friends. A good deed may have unforeseen consequences. Don’t upset any druids. You will soon be going on a very strange journey. Your lucky food is small cucumbers. People pointing knives at you are probably up to no good. PS, we really mean it about the druids.” ― Terry Pratchett
16. “Walking around nude in front of humans was not a good way to keep a low profile with the community. It was an excellent way to make new friends, though.” ― Rachel Vincent
17. “If you go through life with a smile on your face, you’ll be amazed how many people will come up to you and say ‘What the hell are you grinning about? What’s so funny?’ Make you a lot of new friends.” ― P. G. Wodehouse
18. “I always like to know everything about my new friends, and nothing about my old ones.” ― Oscar Wilde
19. “She once told a boyfriend about these considerations and he said, “You are completely out of your mind.” She told a new friend at work and she said, “Honey, you’re not crazy. You’re a woman.” ― Roxane Gay
20. “To my beloved friends, there’s simply no life without you guys. Thanks for the advice and the love and the billion dinners and laughs. Without you all . . . I’d look for new friends and get them.” ― Martin Short
21. “Help someone, you earn a friend. Help someone too much, you make an enemy.” ― Erol Ozan
22. My dad was in the army so we moved around a lot and I changed schools every year and had to make new friends, and I found that if I was the funny guy I could do that easier. ― Jason Gann
To help you enter the next step in a new friendship, we’ve got this guide on how to make close friends.
