In prosperity, our friends know us. In adversity, we know our friends.

The aphorism contrasts two social climates. In times of success, one’s circle often expands: people are eager to associate with prosperity, and the individual becomes an object of attention, so “friends know us.” Hardship reverses the test. When status, money, or usefulness fall away, the remaining companions reveal who is loyal rather than opportunistic—so in adversity “we know our friends.” The saying’s force lies in its symmetry and its moral realism: friendship is not best measured by shared pleasures but by constancy under strain. It also implies a caution about flattering companionship and a call to value those who stay when there is nothing to gain.

“In prosperity our friends know us; in adversity we know our friends.”