The enemy is within the gates; it is with our own luxury, our own folly, our own criminality that we have to contend
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
Give us courage and gaiety and the quiet mind. Spare to us our friends, soften to us our enemies. Bless us, if it may be, in all our innocent endeavors. If it may not, give us the strength to encounter that which is to come, that we be brave in peril, constant in tribulation, temperate in wrath, and in all changes of fortune and down to the gates of death, loyal and loving one to another.
—Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94) Scottish Novelist
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
I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don’t believe I deserved my friends.
—Walt Whitman (1819–92) American Poet, Essayist, Journalist
Art hath an enemy called ignorance
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637) English Dramatist, Poet, Actor
Who is a hero? He who turns his enemy into a friend.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
One enemy can do more hurt than ten friends can do good.
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) Irish Satirist
Only enemies speak the truth; friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty.
—Stephen King (b.1947) American Novelist, Screenwriter, Columnist, Film Director
Why do grandparents and grandchildren get along so well? They have the same enemy—the mother.
—Claudette Colbert (1903–1996) American Actress
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
It is not necessary to have enemies if you go out of your way to make friends hate you.
—Frank Lane (1896–1981) American Sportsperson, Businessperson
You shall judge of a man by his foes as well as by his friends.
—Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) Polish-born British Novelist
To a surrounded enemy, you must leave a way of escape.
—Sun Tzu (fl.c.544–496 BCE) Chinese General, Military Theorist
The worst enemy of truth and freedom in our society is the compact majority. Yes, the damned, compact, liberal majority.
—Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906) Norwegian Playwright
Our worst enemies here are not the ignorant and simple, however cruel; our worst enemies are the intelligent and corrupt.
—Graham Greene (1904–91) British Novelist, Playwright, Short Story Writer
It is difficult to say who do you the most mischief, enemies with the worst intentions, or friends with the best.
—Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (1803–73) British Novelist, Poet, Politician
I have met the enemy, and it is the eyes of other people.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
An army without culture is a dull-witted army, and a dull-witted army cannot defeat the enemy.
—Mao Zedong (1893–1976) Chinese Statesman
The real enemy can always be met and conquered, or won over. Real antagonism is based on love, a love which has not recognized itself.
—Henry Miller (1891–1980) American Novelist
Man has no greater enemy than himself.
—Petrarch (1304–74) Italian Scholar, Poet, Humanist
False friends are worse than bitter enemies.
—Scottish Proverb
One reason we should love our enemies is that we made them ourselves. Another reason is that they keep us on our toes, a third reason is that we should make them our friends.
—Indian Proverb
Even a paranoid can have enemies.
—Henry Kissinger (1923–2023) American Diplomat, Academician
A man can’t be too careful in the choice of his enemies.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Choose your friends carefully. Your enemies will choose you.
—Yasser Arafat (1929–2004) Palestinian Statesman, Leader
You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
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
Was it a friend or foe that spread these lies? Nay, who but infants question in such wise, ’twas one of my most intimate enemies.
—Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828–82) English Poet, Painter, Translator
Who are enemies? Those who oppose each others will.
—M. C. Richards (1916–99) American Poet, Potter, Author
If you want to make peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.
—Moshe Dayan (1915–81) Israeli Soldier, Statesman
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