Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Extend friendship and respect to everyone, regardless of their stance toward you.
In plain terms
Be friendly and respectful to both friends and enemies.
What can you take from it?
Treat all people with dignity, even opponents.

Where it applies

  • diplomatic negotiations
  • personal disputes
  • community building

Putting it to work

  • de-escalate tension
  • build bridges
  • model respect

Questions to consider

  • How do you maintain dignity when treated poorly?
  • When is it safe to extend an olive branch?

Another view

Some enemies may not reciprocate dignity or friendship.

More from Arthur Ashe

  1. 'I have always drawn strength from being close to home.'

    Permalink to quote #29
  2. 'We must believe in the power of education. We must respect just laws. We must love ourselves, our old and or young, our women as well as our men.'

    Permalink to quote #31
  3. 'My humanity, in common with all of God's children, gives the greatest flight to my full range of my possibilities.'

    Permalink to quote #28

Related quotes

  1. I come bearing an olive branch in one hand, and the freedom fighter's gun in the other. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand.

    Yasser ArafatYasser Arafat quote #1
  2. A consciousness of the fact that war means practically total destruction is the reason, I think, for the rising tide to prevent what seems such a senseless pro…

    Eleanor RooseveltEleanor Roosevelt quote #49
  3. If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.

    Nelson MandelaNelson Mandela quote #70