Acute Quote by Arthur Balfour
“Biography should be written by an acute enemy.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Parliamentary Debate, 1914
A biography written by an adversary reveals uncomfortable truths about the subject.
In simple terms: Enemy writes revealing biography.
Key Takeaway
Expect bias in hostile accounts.
Themes
bias
truth
conflict
Mood
skeptical
analytical
Type
historical
critical
When to use this quote
- political biographies
- war histories
- personal memoirs
Key Concepts
historical narrative
propaganda
Questions to Reflect On
- How to discern fact from bias?
- What value lies in opposing perspectives?
A Different Perspective
Even enemies can provide valuable insights.
![“A biography should be faithful to the truth. I do not believe that a biography of a man should be all praises, it should be both [praise and criticism] because it is not bad to show the human side of a person. You make him human by painting the defects.” quote by Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/faf/teodoro-a-agoncillo-18516_truth_a-biography-should-be-faithful-to-the-tr_2410032.jpg)
![“He [A. J. Balfour] was eminently one of the Cole Porter school of famous men, who only fell to rise again. Picking himself up and brushing himself down became a minor art form, ruefully admired by his contemporaries.” quote by Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d36/arthur-balfour-15770_art_he-a-j-balfour-was-eminently-one-of-the_43746.jpg)
