A true friend is one who overlooks your failures and tolerates your successes.

Larson’s aphorism defines friendship through a paradox: real loyalty is shown not only in forgiving mistakes (“overlooks your failures”) but also in resisting envy or resentment when the friend prospers (“tolerates your successes”). The verb “tolerates” is deliberately wry, suggesting that another person’s achievements can test relationships as much as their shortcomings do. The line implies that friendship is measured by generosity of spirit—patience, discretion, and emotional steadiness—rather than by constant agreement or shared circumstances. It also hints that social bonds often fracture more from jealousy and comparison than from error, making the capacity to celebrate (or at least accept) another’s good fortune a hallmark of mature, enduring friendship.