proverb · Words worth keeping
A friend's eye is a good mirror.
A friend's eye is a good mirror.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes a friend’s eye a mirror. It values the perspective a trusted friend can offer about oneself.
What the words are saying
The reflected view is personal rather than a guarantee of accuracy. A useful application welcomes candid feedback while asking what supports it and retaining room for disagreement. Friendship does not make every opinion true or require accepting hurtful comments without question.
Everyday example
Someone asks a trusted friend for specific feedback and considers it alongside other evidence.
When to use it
Use it to discuss helpful feedback with its limits retained.
What it does not mean
A friend’s judgment is not automatically accurate or binding.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 484; PDF page 71
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.