Nothing would more contribute to make a man wise than to have always an enemy in his view.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Having an enemy forces a person to be vigilant and prudent.
- In plain terms
- An enemy keeps a person sharp and careful.
- What can you take from it?
- Opposition sharpens wisdom.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does opposition help us?
- Is an enemy always useful?
Another view
Enemies can also cause harm beyond just wisdom.
More from George Savile
Nothing has an uglier look to us than reason, when it is not on our side.
Permalink to quote #27 Our nature hardly allows us to have enough of anything without having too much.
Permalink to quote #29 No man is so much a fool as not to have wit enough sometimes to be a knave; nor any so cunning a knave as not to have the weakness sometimes to play the fool.
Permalink to quote #26
Related quotes
There is no teacher but the enemy.
Orson Scott CardOrson Scott Card quote #23 Translation: We can learn even from our enemies.
OvidOvid quote #24 There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.
Willa CatherWilla Cather quote #100