About this quote

Honest friends will hurt you faster than backstabbing strangers, and that pain has a use. It points out what you refuse to see and stops you from pretending everything is fine. Notice who tells you the truth straight to your face and who only whispers behind your back. If the delivery stings, set a boundary about how you want to be spoken to or step back from that relationship.

When to use it

• At the client pitch, when Maria pulled me aside and said 'A good friend will always stab you in the front,' I rewrote the data slide on the spot.
• After my sister told me to stop borrowing her car because I kept denting it, she finished with 'A good friend will always stab you in the front' and I thanked her for being blunt.
• On the practice field the captain shouted 'A good friend will always stab you in the front' after I made the wrong call; I owned it and corrected my positioning.
• When my business partner warned the marketing plan was naive and quoted 'A good friend will always stab you in the front,' we cut the risky spend and adjusted strategy.