The moment at which two people, approaching from opposite ends of a long passageway, recognize each other and immediately pretend they haven t. This is to avoid the ghastly embarrassment of having to continue recognizing each other the whole length of the corridor.
—Douglas Adams (1952–2001) English Novelist, Scriptwriter
If an enemy is annoying you by playing well, consider adopting his strategy.
—Chinese Proverb
I have had a lot of adversaries in my political life, but no enemies that I can remember.
—Gerald Ford (1913–2006) American Head of State
I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don’t believe I deserved my friends.
—Walt Whitman (1819–92) American Poet, Essayist, Journalist, American, Poet, Essayist, Journalist
It takes your enemy and your friend, working together, to hurt you to the heart; the one to slander you and the other to get the news to you.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
An enemy will agree, but a friend will argue.
—Russian Proverb
A small debt makes a man your debtor, a large one makes him your enemy.
—Seneca the Elder (Marcus Annaeus Seneca) (c.55 BCE–c.40 CE) Roman Rhetorician
The wise learn many things from their enemies.
—Aristophanes (447–386 BCE) Greek Comic Playwright
Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
A doubtful friend is worse than a certain enemy. Let a man be one thing or the other, and we then know how to meet him.
—Aesop (620–564 BCE) Greek Fabulist
Enemies are so stimulating.
—Katharine Hepburn (1907–2003) American Actor, TV Personality
If thine enemy offend thee, give his child a drum.
—Unknown
It is a pitiful fortune that is not without enemies.
—Publilius Syrus (fl.85–43 BCE) Syrian-born Roman Latin Writer
Choose a friend. He will help you. Alas, he deserts you. Choose an enemy. He will fight against you. Lo, he corrects and perfects you.
—Sri Chinmoy (1931–2007) Indian Yoga Teacher
O wise man, wash your hands of that friend who associates with your enemies.
—Sa’Di (Musharrif Od-Din Muslih Od-Din) (c.1213–91) Persian Poet
The enemy is more easily overcome if he be not suffered to enter the door of our hearts, but be resisted without the gate at his first knock.
—Thomas a Kempis (1379–1471) German Religious Priest, Writer
Five enemies of peace inhabit with us—avarice, ambition, envy, anger, and pride; if these were to be banished, we should infallibly enjoy perpetual peace.
—Petrarch (1304–74) Italian Scholar, Poet, Humanist
Be assured those will be thy worst enemies, not to whom thou hast done evil, but who have done evil to thee.—And those will be thy best friends, not to whom thou hast done good, but who have done good to thee.
—Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741–1801) Swiss Theologian, Poet
Build a golden bridge for the fleeing enemy.
—French Proverb
There once was a bald man who sat down after work on a hot summer’s day. A fly came up and kept buzzing about his bald pate, and stinging him from time to time. The man aimed a blow at his little enemy, but – whack – his palm come on his own head instead; again the fly tormented him, but this time the man was wiser and said: “you will only injure yourself if you take notice of dispicable enemies.”
—Aesop (620–564 BCE) Greek Fabulist
An old enemy never becomes a friend.
—Greek Proverb
Love your Enemies, for they tell you your Faults.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
An intelligent enemy is better than a stupid friend.
—African Proverb
Use your enemy’s hand to catch a snake.
—Persian Proverb
You may find the worst enemy or best friend in yourself.
—English Proverb
Men of sense often learn from their enemies.—It is from their foes, not their friends, that cities learn the lesson of building high walls and ships of war; and this lesson saves their children, their homes, and their properties.
—Aristophanes (447–386 BCE) Greek Comic Playwright
Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot that it do singe yourself.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
There are three kinds of enemy: the enemy himself, the friends of your enemy, and the enemies of your friends.
—Persian Proverb
A person is his own worst enemy.
—Anonymous
A wise man profits more from his enemies than a fool from his friends.
—Baltasar Gracian (1601–58) Spanish Scholar, Prose Writer