--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is better to have an ENEMY who…" description: "\"It is better to have an ENEMY who honestly says they hate you, than to have a FRIEND who's putting you down SECRETLY\" — Anonymous" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8a/anonymous-1_quote_it-is-better-to-have-an-enemy-who-honest_885524.jpg" --- # It is better to have an ENEMY who honestly says they hate… ![“It is better to have an ENEMY who honestly says they hate you, than to have a FRIEND who's putting you down SECRETLY” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8a/anonymous-1_quote_it-is-better-to-have-an-enemy-who-honest_885524.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8a/anonymous-1_quote_it-is-better-to-have-an-enemy-who-honest_885524.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8a/anonymous-1_quote_it-is-better-to-have-an-enemy-who-honest_885524.jpg) > “It is better to have an ENEMY who honestly says they hate you, than to have a FRIEND who's putting you down SECRETLY” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Open criticism from an enemy is more honest than covert sabotage from a friend. **In simple terms:** Honest enemies are better than hidden hostile friends. Key Takeaway Prefer transparent conflict over secret betrayal. Themes trust honesty relationships Mood cautious reflective Type advice observational When to use this quote - personal relationships - workplace - politics - online communities Key Concepts psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Do you value honesty over loyalty? - How do you handle hidden criticism? A Different Perspective Friends may hide hostility, making it harder to address. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) ## Related quotes > [It is better to have an enemy who honestly hates you, than to have a friend who does it behind your back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/it-is-better-to-have-an-enemy-who-honestly-hates-you-than-to-have-a/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [It's better to have a enemy who tell the truth they hate you , that to have a friend who secretly cheats on you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-better-to-have-a-enemy-who-tell-the-truth-they-hate-you-that-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'd rather have an enemy who says that they hate me, than to keep a friend whose mission is to put me down secretly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-d-rather-have-an-enemy-who-says-that-they-hate-me-than-to-keep-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'dàrather have an enemy who says that they hate me, than to keep a FRIEND whose mission is to put me down secretly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/real-mk/i-d-rather-have-an-enemy-who-says-that-they-hate-me-than-to-keep-a-2/) Real Mk > [You know it's better to have an enemy who lets you know that they hate you than to have a trusted friend that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-it-s-better-to-have-an-enemy-who-lets-you-know-that-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Better to have an enemy who slaps you in the face than a friend who stabs you in the back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/better-to-have-an-enemy-who-slaps-you-in-the-face-than-a-friend-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Its better to have an enemy who puts u down frankly than to have a friend who puts you down secretly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-better-to-have-an-enemy-who-puts-u-down-frankly-than-to-have-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It better to have an enemy that slaps you in the face than a friend that slabs u at the back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-better-to-have-an-enemy-that-slaps-you-in-the-face-than-a-friend/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If a guy loves you he doesn't want to be in the friend zone. Men HATE the friend zone unless they dont love you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-a-guy-loves-you-he-doesn-t-want-to-be-in-the-friend-zone-men-hate/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wanna go on a blind date and then just be a complete psychopath so they hate their friend for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wanna-go-on-a-blind-date-and-then-just-be-a-complete-psychopath-so/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I hate a friend going through the pain of loss of a close loved one and not being able to do anything about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-a-friend-going-through-the-pain-of-loss-of-a-close-loved-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I really hate when a friend suddenly forgets you just because he/she is in relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-really-hate-when-a-friend-suddenly-forgets-you-just-because-he-she/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If a girl says, 'I hate drama,' there is a 99% chance she is a huge drama queen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-a-girl-says-i-hate-drama-there-is-a-99-chance-she-is-a-huge-drama/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [That awkward moment when a Fake person says they hate Fake people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-awkward-moment-when-a-fake-person-says-they-hate-fake-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Try to read your own work as a stranger would read it, or even better, as an enemy would.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/try-to-read-your-own-work-as-a-stranger-would-read-it-or-even-better/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Friend quotes > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Friends are like stars you can't always see them, but you know they're there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknwon/friends-are-like-stars-you-can-t-always-see-them-but-you-know-they-re/) Unknwon > [“But my best friend from college was silent for a long time. She, of all of my friends, had seen the parade of sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/but-my-best-friend-from-college-was-silent-for-a-long-time-she-of-all/) [Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/) > [“way. A true friend isn't the one that agrees with everything you say or do. A true friend is someone that has your back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shameek-speight/way-a-true-friend-isn-t-the-one-that-agrees-with-everything-you-say/) [Shameek Speight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shameek-speight/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“The real purpose of friendship was to discover and exploit weakness in others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-thompson/the-real-purpose-of-friendship-was-to-discover-and-exploit-weakness/) [Brian Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-thompson/) > [That FRIEND who claim they do anything for you. but yet talk behind your back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kushsoulja/that-friend-who-claim-they-do-anything-for-you-but-yet-talk-behind/) KushSoulja > [In life, we never lose friends we only get to know who the true ones are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ace-kid/in-life-we-never-lose-friends-we-only-get-to-know-who-the-true-ones/) [Ace Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ace-kid/) > [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [Sam dropped me off. When she was too far away to see me, I started to cry again. Because she was my friend again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/sam-dropped-me-off-when-she-was-too-far-away-to-see-me-i-started-to/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [“When you get lost in a really strange place, nothing is more comforting than found your friend whom you trust and can show the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-get-lost-in-a-really-strange-place-nothing-is-more/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [Friendship, "the wine of life," should, like a well-stocked cellar, be continually renewed; and it is consolatory to think, that although we can seldom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-boswell/friendship-the-wine-of-life-should-like-a-well-stocked-cellar-be/) [James Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-boswell/) > [I fell in love with my best friend, but I know that if it doesn't last, it will never be the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-yang/i-fell-in-love-with-my-best-friend-but-i-know-that-if-it-doesn-t-last/) Shelly Yang > [A best friend isn't someone who's just always there for you.Its someone who understands you a bit more than you understand yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/a-best-friend-isn-t-someone-who-s-just-always-there-for-you-its/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) [Browse all 14,984 Friend quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is better to have an ENEMY who honestly says they hate you, than to have a FRIEND who's putting you down SECRETLY", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-better-to-have-an-enemy-who-honestly-says-they-hate-you-than-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Friend" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-better-to-have-an-enemy-who-honestly-says-they-hate-you-than-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8a/anonymous-1_quote_it-is-better-to-have-an-enemy-who-honest_885524.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8a/anonymous-1_quote_it-is-better-to-have-an-enemy-who-honest_885524.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8a/anonymous-1_quote_it-is-better-to-have-an-enemy-who-honest_885524.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is better to have an ENEMY who honestly says they hate you, than to have a FRIEND who's putting you down…” — Anonymous", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anonymous", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is better to have an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-better-to-have-an-enemy-who-honestly-says-they-hate-you-than-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-better-to-have-an-enemy-who-honestly-says-they-hate-you-than-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```