Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Related Quotes

African Proverbs

When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.

Enemy |

Alfred Whitney Griswold

If appeasing our enemies is not the answer, neither is hating them... Somewhere between the extremes of appeasement and hate there is a place for courage and strength to express themselves in magnanimity and charity, and this is the place we must find.

Charity | Courage | Hate | Magnanimity | Strength |

Baltasar Gracián

A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.

Man | Wise |

Baltasar Gracián

Know how to use your enemies. A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.

Man | Wise |

Baltasar Gracián

Trust the friends of to-day as if they will be enemies to-morrow.

Day | Trust | Will | Friends |

Cato the Elder, Marcus Porius Cato, aka Censorius (the Censor), Sapiens (the Wise), Priscus (the Ancient) NULL

Some men are more beholden to their bitterest enemies than to friends who appear to be sweetness itself. The former frequently tell the truth, but the latter never.

Men | Truth | Friends |

Charles Caleb Colton

He that openly tells his friends all that he thinks of them, must expect that they will secretly tell his enemies much that they do not think of him.

Will | Friends | Think |

Carl Sagan

The nuclear arms race is like two sworn enemies standing waist deep in gasoline, one with three matches, the other with five.

Race |

Charles Caleb Colton

The reason why great men meet with so little pity or attachment in adversity, would seem to be this: the friends of a great man were made by his fortune, his enemies by himself, and revenge is a much more punctual paymaster than gratitude.

Adversity | Fortune | Gratitude | Little | Man | Men | Pity | Reason | Revenge | Friends |

Charles Caleb Colton

He that has never known adversity, is but half acquainted with others, or with himself. Constant success shows us but one side of the world. for, as it surrounds us with friends, who will tell us only our merits, so it silences those enemies from whom alone we can learn our defects.

Adversity | Defects | Success | Will | World | Learn |

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Beware of no man more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us.

Man |

Chinese Proverbs

He who cannot agree with his enemies is controlled by them.

Dale Carnegie, originally spelled Dale Carnegey

When we hate our enemies, we are giving them power over us: power over our sleep, our appetites, our blood pressure, our health, and our happiness. Our enemies would dance with joy if only they knew how they were worrying us, lacerating us, and getting even with us! Our hate is not hurting them at all, but our hate is turning our own days and nights into a hellish turmoil.

Giving | Hate | Health | Joy | Power | Turmoil |

François de La Rochefoucauld, François VI, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, Prince de Marcillac, Francois A. F. Rochefoucauld-Liancourt

To be deceived by; our enemies or betrayed by our friends is insupportable; yet by ourselves are we often content to be so treated.

Friends |

Elbert Green Hubbard

Never explain: your friends don’t require it, and your enemies won’t believe you anyway.

Friends |

Elbert Green Hubbard

Never explain. Your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.

Need | Will | Friends |

Frank Crane

Our best friends and our worst enemies are our thoughts.

Friends |