Hillsdale College

Friendship

Love others for their own sake.

StoriesPoemsLives of Virtue

Friendship is the moral virtue that inclines one to desire and work for the true good of others. In friendship, one does not consider another’s good in opposition to one’s own, but as an extension of it. Thus, friendship includes not only goodwill, but also fellow-feeling, and in this way it goes beyond the virtue of justice. The habit of friendship is manifested through external acts such as courtesy, hospitality, patience, kindness, and generosity.

For Grades K-2:

The virtue of friendship gives us the desire to truly care for others and to work for their good and not just our own. 

For Grades 3-6:

The virtue of friendship enables us to work for the true good of others, seeing their good not as separate from our own but as an extension of it. Friendship includes both goodwill and fellow-feeling, and it shows itself outwardly through kindness, courtesy, and hospitality. 

Related Virtues

Justice

Gratitude
Patriotism
Respect
Responsibility
Honesty
Generosity
Kindness

Featured Stories

The Velveteen RabbitMargery Williams
Grade K-2

Story

The Little PrinceAntoine de Saint-Exupéry
Grade K-5

Story

Charlotte’s WebE.B. White
Grade 2-3

Story

The Sign of the BeaverElizabeth George Speare
Grade 2-4

Story

The Princess and the GoblinGeorge MacDonald
Grade 3-5

Story

Johnny TremainEsther Hoskins Forbes
Grade 4-6

Story

More Stories

Featured Biographies

Two FriendsDean Robbins
Grade K-3

Biography

Friends for Freedom: The Story of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick DouglassSuzanne Slade
Grade 2-6

Biography

Annie and HelenDeborah Hopkinson
Grade 1-5

Biography

Helen’s Big World: The Life of Helen KellerDoreen Rappaport
Grade 2-6

Biography

Poems about Friendship

Break, break, break, on thy cold gray stones, O Sea!

Break, Break, Break
By Alfred, Lord Tennyson
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Now you’re part of that present unity Of absences the living move among,

For A Dog
By Ryan Wilson
Read More of For A Dog

Love is like the wild rose-briar, Friendship like the holly-tree--

Love and Friendship
By Emily Brontë
Read More of Love and Friendship

Mary had a little lamb, Its fleece was white as snow

Mary Had a Little Lamb
By Sarah Josepha Hale
Read More of Mary Had a Little Lamb

This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong, To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

Sonnet #73
By William Shakespeare
Read More of Sonnet #73

Small service is true service while it lasts

To a Child
By William Wordsworth
Read More of To a Child

Lives of Virtue

Frederick DouglassFor his unflinching honesty in sharing his life experience, for his courage in escaping injustice, and for his relentless pursuit of justice, Frederick Douglass exemplifies moral virtue.  
Abigail AdamsRegarded as a "Founding Mother," Abigail Adams shared her husband John Adam's passion for liberty and American independence. She played a pivotal role in shaping the nation's early political and social landscape through her insightful correspondence with John Adams, advocating for women's rights, education, and the abolition of slavery.
Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. AnthonySusan B. Anthony tirelessly advocated for women's suffrage and equality with unwavering courage and moral conviction.
Anne Sullivan Macy
Anne Sullivan MacyAnne Sullivan, with remarkable patience and dedication, transformed Helen Keller’s life through innovative teaching, embodying kindness, perseverance, and an unwavering belief in the power of education to uplift and empower.