Married couples who quarrel bitterly every day may really need each other as deeply as those who appear to be desperately in love.
Edward AbbeyRead
Beware of the man who has no enemies.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that a person without enemies may lack strong convictions or influence.
Edward Abbey's quote speaks to the idea that having enemies is often a result of standing firmly for one's beliefs and principles. In a world where differing opinions and conflicts are prevalent, a person who has never faced opposition may not have taken risks or challenged the status quo, indicating a lack of depth in character or resolve.
Themes
EnemiesConvictionsPhilosophyOppositionCharacter
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about leadership and the importance of standing up for one's beliefs.
More from Edward Abbey
All quotes βI love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive society is the free society.
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If it's knowledge and wisdom you want, then seek out the company of those who do real work for an honest purpose.
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The earth is real. Only a fool, milking his cow, denies the cow's reality.
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I believe in nothing that I cannot touch, kiss, embrace.... The rest is only hearsay.
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Why can't we simply borrow what is useful to us from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, especially Zen, as we borrow from Christianity, science, American Indian traditions and world literature in general, including philosophy, and let the rest go hang? Borrow what we need but rely principally upon our own senses, common sense and daily living experience.
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