The best time to make friends is before you need them.

The remark warns against treating relationships as purely instrumental. It suggests that friendship built only when a crisis hits can feel opportunistic, whereas bonds formed earlier—through shared time, trust, and reciprocity—are more likely to be genuine and resilient. The line also carries a practical lesson: social support networks don’t appear instantly; they are cultivated through consistent attention long before they are tested. At a deeper level, it implies an ethic of foresight and generosity: invest in people when nothing is demanded, so that mutual aid, if it becomes necessary, rests on real connection rather than transaction.