The soldiers fight, and the kings are heroes.
—Yiddish Proverb
The course of true love never did run smooth.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
The longer a man lives in this world the more he must be convinced that all domestic quarrels had better never be obtruded on the public; for, let the husband be right, or let him be wrong, there is always a sympathy existing for women which is certain to give the man the worst of it.
—Benjamin Haydon (1786–1846) English Painter, Writer
In this world of eternal struggle do not deserve to live.
—Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) Nazi Leader, Chancellor of Germany
When the fight begins within himself, a man’s worth something.
—Robert Browning (1812–89) English Poet
No battle is worth fighting except the last one.
—Enoch Powell (1912–98) English Conservative Politician, Scholar
Though a quarrel in the streets is a thing to be hated, the energies displayed in it are fine; the commonest man shows a grace in his quarrel.
—John Keats (1795–1821) English Poet
When a miller fights with a chimney sweep, the miller gets black and the chimney sweep gets white.
—Yiddish Proverb
Fighting for your country glorifies death.
—Russian Proverb
When elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers.
—African Proverb
A quarrel between friends, when made up, adds a new tie to friendship, as … the callosity formed round a broken bone makes it stronger than before.
—Francis de Sales (1567–1622) French Catholic Saint
The most terrible fight is not when there is one opinion against another, the most terrible is when two men say the same thing—and fight about the interpretation, and this interpretation involves a difference of quality.
—Soren Kierkegaard (1813–55) Danish Philosopher, Theologian
Contemplative and bookish men must of necessity be more quarrelsome than others, because they contend not about matter of fact, nor can determine their controversies by any certain witnesses, nor judges. But as long as they go towards peace, that is Truth, it is no matter which way.
—John Donne (1572–1631) English Poet, Cleric
Not the glittering weapon fights the fight, but rather the hero’s heart.
—Common Proverb
To survive it is often necessary to fight and to fight you have to dirty yourself.
—George Orwell (1903–50) English Novelist, Journalist
People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes.
—Pauline Phillips (Abigail van Buren) (b.1918) American Columnist
A liberal is a man who leaves the room when the fight starts.
—Heywood Hale Broun (1918–2001) American Journalist, Commentator, Actor
I will fight for my children on any level so they can reach their potential as human beings and in their public duties.
—Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–97) English Royal, Humanitarian, Peace Activist
You cannot fight against the future. Time is on our side.
—William Ewart Gladstone (1809–98) English Liberal Statesman, Prime Minister
The foolish race of mankind are swarming below in the night; they shriek and rage and quarrel—and all of them are right.
—Heinrich Heine (1797–1856) German Poet, Writer
Never contend with a man who has nothing to lose.
—Baltasar Gracian (1601–58) Spanish Scholar, Prose Writer
Bulls get rich, bears get rich, but pigs get slaughtered An Irishman is never at his best except when fighting.
—Irish Proverb
When there is no enemy it is safe to fight.
—German Proverb
My address is like my shoes. It travels with me. I abide where there is a fight against wrong.
—Mary Harris Jones (Mother Jones) (1837–1930) Irish-American Labor Activist
The full value of this life can only be got by fighting; the violent take it by storm. And if we have accepted everything we have missed something—war. This life of ours is a very enjoyable fight, but a very miserable truce.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
Fight fire with fire.
—Common Proverb
Coarse kindness is, at least, better than coarse anger; and in all private quarrels the duller nature is triumphant by reason of its dullness.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
Quarrel? Nonsense; we have not quarreled. If one is not to get into a rage sometimes, what is the good of being friends?
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
There is no such thing as a man being too proud to fight; there is such a thing as a nation being so right that it does not need to convince others by force that it is right.
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) American Head of State
If you are going out for a fight leave your best hat at home.
—Japanese Proverb
The mediator in a fight gets all the blows.
—Persian Proverb
I strove with none; for none was worth my strife.
—Walter Savage Landor (1775–1864) English Writer, Poet
Those who fight with silver spears are sure of their victory.
—Greek Proverb
It’s better to pick a fight with your in-laws than with your neighbors.
—Indian Proverb
We are twice armed if we fight with faith.
—Plato (428 BCE–347 BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Mathematician, Educator
Wise men do not quarrel with each other.
—Danish Proverb
The same reason that makes us chide and brawl and fall out with any of our neighbors, causeth a war to follow between Princes.
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) French Essayist
Fighting is like champagne. It goes to the heads of cowards as quickly as of heroes. Any fool can be brave on a battlefield when it’s be brave or else be killed.
—Margaret Mitchell (1900–49) American Novelist, Journalist
There is no mother like your own mother.
—African Proverb
Lovers quarrels are the renewal of love.
—Terence (c.195–159 BCE) Roman Comic Dramatist
One cannot part two fighting bulls.
—African Proverb
Break a vase, and the love that reassembles the fragments is stronger than that love which took its symmetry for granted when it was whole.
—Derek Walcott (1930–2017) West Indian Poet, Dramatist
I’m not going to get into the ring with Tolstoy.
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American Author, Journalist, Short Story Writer
The test of a man or woman’s breeding is how they behave in a quarrel.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
If there be no enemy there’s no fight. If no fight, no victory and if no victory there is no crown.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war.
—Napoleon I (1769–1821) Emperor of France
In a fight the rich man tries to save his face, the poor man his Coat.
—Russian Proverb
Still, if you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than live as slaves.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
Those who live are those who fight.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
That is the whole secret of successful fighting. Get your enemy at a disadvantage; and never, on any account, fight him on equal terms.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright