Is a friend of your enemy your enemy?

The ancient proverb reads, “The friend of my enemy, is my enemy.” Or the inverse, “The enemy of my enemy, is my friend.” Whatever way you slice it, the two quotes mean that we would do well to associate ourselves with people who are aligned with our best interest and who protect our peace.

Is the enemy of my enemy is my friend a paradox?

Other examples of paradoxes: The greatest thing that can come from hate is love, and William Shakespeare proved this paradox in Romeo and Juliet. My mother taught me that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and this paradox has been useful while dealing with both high school and workplace politics.

Who created the saying the enemy of my enemy is my friend?

Many of us are familiar with the old adage, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Its origins date at least as far back as the 4th century BCE and Kautilya, the Hindu scholar who provided foreign policy advice to Chandragupta, the founder of the Maurya Empire in ancient India.

What does it mean to be friends with an enemy?

Frenemy
“Frenemy” (also spelled “frienemy”) is an oxymoron and a portmanteau of “friend” and “enemy” that refers to “a person with whom one is friendly, despite a fundamental dislike or rivalry” or “a person who combines the characteristics of a friend and an enemy”. …

How true is the enemy of my enemy is my friend?

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend” is an ancient proverb which suggests that two parties can or should work together against a common enemy. A phrase that some people consider to be similar is found in a Sanskrit treatise on statecraft, the Arthashastra, which dates to around the 4th century BC.

What’s the difference between an oxymoron and a paradox?

An oxymoron is the conjunction of two words with meanings that contradict each other. While a paradox is the opposition of ideas or themes, an oxymoron is a contradiction merely between words. An example of oxymoron in literature can be found in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Who said Keep Your Enemies close?

The phrase “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” IIRC, originates from a poor English translation of Machiavelli’s letters. The quote is usually attributed to him. I could be wrong (and often am), however. Edit: FWIW, the quote does not come from the Bible or from Shakespeare.

Is the enemy of My Enemy My Friend or my Enemy?

The proverb that the “enemy of my enemy is my friend” is not an Arab proverb, it is a Sanskrit proverb that predates the Prophet Muhammad by roughly 1,000 years. It is also a proverb with a dismal history in practice.

What does keep your enemies closer mean?

The saying, “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer” means that you should stay in “pretend friendly” contact with enemies so that you know what they are up to. If you are informed about them and their plans, it’s harder for them to knife you in the back.