Tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are
Meaning: The company you keep reflects and shapes your own character.
Origin: A saying found across Europe, best known in Spanish as dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres — tell me who you walk with and I'll tell you who you are. In Don Quixote (Part II, 1615), Sancho Panza quotes it against himself: his master is clearly mad, he reasons, so what does that make the man who follows and serves him?
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Dis-moi qui tu fréquentes, je te dirai qui tu es (literally: Tell me who you associate with, I will tell you who you are)
- Spanish: Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres (literally: Tell me who you walk with and I'll tell you who you are)
- Japanese: その人を知りたければ友人を見よ (Sono hito wo shiritakereba yūjin wo miyo) (literally: If you want to know a person, look at their friends)
- German: Sage mir, mit wem du umgehst, und ich sage dir, wer du bist (literally: Tell me with whom you associate, and I'll tell you who you are)
More proverbs about Human Nature
- One kind word can warm three winter months — A single act of kindness has an impact far greater and longer-lasting than the moment it…
- Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches — Only the person experiencing a difficulty truly understands its depth.
- Even the sun has its spots — Nothing and nobody is perfect; even the greatest things have their flaws.
- The forest would be silent if no bird sang except the one that sang best — Everyone has a unique contribution; holding back out of self-doubt robs the world.
- As the twig is bent, so grows the tree — Early experiences and upbringing shape a person's lifelong character and habits.
- If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together — Short-term speed comes from solitude; long-term achievement comes from collaboration.
From our compliments & insults
- Tu as le vent en poupe — Everything is going your way — you're riding a wave of momentum and success.
- Tu es un as — You're brilliant at what you do — the very best.
- Tu as de la répartie — You're brilliantly quick-witted — always ready with the perfect comeback.