Advising often better than fighting.
—German Proverb
Never go to bed angry, stay up and fight.
—Phyllis Diller (b.1917) American Actor, Comedian
If you want an audience start a fight.
—Irish Proverb
The last sound on the worthless earth will be two human beings trying to launch a homemade spaceship and already quarreling about where they are going next.
—William Faulkner (1897–1962) American Novelist
In a fight the rich man tries to save his face, the poor man his Coat.
—Russian Proverb
One cannot part two fighting bulls.
—African Proverb
When elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers.
—African Proverb
They who fight with golden weapons are pretty sure to prove they are right.
—Dutch Proverb
Dogs that always fight always have bleeding ears.
—French Proverb
Sit atop the mountain and watch the tigers fight.
—Chinese Proverb
The mediator in a fight gets all the blows.
—Persian Proverb
Lovers quarrels are the renewal of love.
—Terence (c.195–159 BCE) Roman Comic Dramatist
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
Bulls get rich, bears get rich, but pigs get slaughtered An Irishman is never at his best except when fighting.
—Irish Proverb
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
Those who fight with silver spears are sure of their victory.
—Greek Proverb
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
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
Wise men do not quarrel with each other.
—Danish Proverb
It is no use cutting a stick when the fight is over.
—Japanese 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
When the fight begins within himself, a man’s worth something.
—Robert Browning (1812–89) English Poet
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’m not going to get into the ring with Tolstoy.
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American Author, Journalist, Short Story Writer
If you are going out for a fight leave your best hat at home.
—Japanese 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
No battle is worth fighting except the last one.
—Enoch Powell (1912–98) English Conservative Politician, Scholar
When there is no enemy it is safe to fight.
—German Proverb
The underdog often starts the fight, and occasionally the upper dog deserves to win.
—E. W. Howe (1853–1937) American Novelist, Editor
Quarrel not at all. No man resolved to make the most of himself can spare time for personal contention. Still less can he afford to take all the consequences, including the vitiating of his temper and loss of self control. Yield larger things to which you can show no more than equal right; and yield lesser ones, though clearly your own. Better give your path to a dog than be bitten by him in contesting for the right. Even killing the dog would not cure the bite.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
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