--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Better that right counsels be known to…" description: "\"“Better that right counsels be known to enemies than that the evil secrets of tyrants should be concealed from citizens.”\" — Baruch Spinoza" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/569/baruch-spinoza-1338_known-enemies_better-that-right-counsels-be-known-to-e_2373372.jpg" --- # Better that right counsels be known to enemies than that… ![“Better that right counsels be known to enemies than that the evil secrets of tyrants should be concealed from citizens.” quote by Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/569/baruch-spinoza-1338_known-enemies_better-that-right-counsels-be-known-to-e_2373372.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/569/baruch-spinoza-1338_known-enemies_better-that-right-counsels-be-known-to-e_2373372.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/569/baruch-spinoza-1338_known-enemies_better-that-right-counsels-be-known-to-e_2373372.jpg) > ““Better that right counsels be known to enemies than that the evil secrets of tyrants should be concealed from citizens.”” [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It is better for enemies to know a ruler’s good advice than for citizens to be kept ignorant of a tyrant’s evil deeds. **In simple terms:** Open counsel is safer than secret tyranny. Key Takeaway Share wise counsel publicly. Themes politics transparency ethics Mood thoughtful serious Type political philosophical When to use this quote - government debates - civil society activism - media reporting - educational curricula Key Concepts philosophy power dynamics public knowledge Questions to Reflect On - How does transparency affect public trust? - When is secrecy justified? A Different Perspective Secrecy may sometimes protect stability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Better that right counsels be known to enemies than that the evil secrets of tyrants should be concealed from the citizens. They who can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/better-that-right-counsels-be-known-to-enemies-than-that-the-evil/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“It has been the one song of those who thirst after absolute power that the interest of the state requires that its affairs should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/it-has-been-the-one-song-of-those-who-thirst-after-absolute-power/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [LISTEN To Your Enemy's Speech... Because Your Mistakes Are Well Known By Your Enemies Only..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/listen-to-your-enemy-s-speech-because-your-mistakes-are-well-known-by/) Pacifiersucker > [Listen to your enemys speech, because your mistakes are well known by your enemies only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/listen-to-your-enemys-speech-because-your-mistakes-are-well-known-by/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [Known enemies are far better than snake friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sobogun-layide/known-enemies-are-far-better-than-snake-friends/) Sobogun Layide > [“A thousand KNOWN ENEMIES are better than one UNKNOWN ENEMY.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mouloud-benzadi/a-thousand-known-enemies-are-better-than-one-unknown-enemy/) [Mouloud Benzadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mouloud-benzadi/) ## More by Baruch Spinoza > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [. . . to know the order of nature, and regard the universe as orderly is the highest function of the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/to-know-the-order-of-nature-and-regard-the-universe-as-orderly-is-the/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [If anyone conceives that he is loved by another, and believes that he has given no cause for such love, he will love that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/if-anyone-conceives-that-he-is-loved-by-another-and-believes-that-he/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [The world would be happier if men had the same capacity to be silent that they have to speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/the-world-would-be-happier-if-men-had-the-same-capacity-to-be-silent/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“So they will pursue their questions from cause to cause, till at last you take refuge in the will of God—in other words, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/so-they-will-pursue-their-questions-from-cause-to-cause-till-at-last/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [As men's habits of mind differ, so that some more readily embrace one form of faith, some another, for what moves one to pray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/as-men-s-habits-of-mind-differ-so-that-some-more-readily-embrace-one/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [If a man had begun to hate an object of his love, so that love is thoroughly destroyed, he will, causes being equal, regard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/if-a-man-had-begun-to-hate-an-object-of-his-love-so-that-love-is/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [I make this chief distinction between religion and superstition, that the latter is founded on ignorance, the former on knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/i-make-this-chief-distinction-between-religion-and-superstition-that/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [One and the same thing can at the same time be good, bad, and indifferent, e.g., music is good to the melancholy, bad to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/one-and-the-same-thing-can-at-the-same-time-be-good-bad-and/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [A good thing which prevents us from enjoying a greater good is in truth an evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/a-good-thing-which-prevents-us-from-enjoying-a-greater-good-is-in/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [But if men would give heed to the nature of substance they would doubt less concerning the Proposition that Existence appertains to the nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/but-if-men-would-give-heed-to-the-nature-of-substance-they-would/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [The more intelligible a thing is, the more easily it is retained in the memory, and counterwise, the less intelligible it is, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/the-more-intelligible-a-thing-is-the-more-easily-it-is-retained-in/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [In the state of nature, wrong-doing is impossible; or, if anyone does wrong, it is to himself, not to another. For no one by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/in-the-state-of-nature-wrong-doing-is-impossible-or-if-anyone-does/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [For peace is not mere absence of war, but is a virtue that springs from force of character: for obedience is the constant will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/for-peace-is-not-mere-absence-of-war-but-is-a-virtue-that-springs/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/peace-is-not-an-absence-of-war-it-is-a-virtue-a-state-of-mind-a/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) [Explore all 248 Baruch Spinoza quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) ## More Known Enemies quotes > [LISTEN To Your Enemy's Speech... Because Your Mistakes Are Well Known By Your Enemies Only..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/listen-to-your-enemy-s-speech-because-your-mistakes-are-well-known-by/) Pacifiersucker > [Better that right counsels be known to enemies than that the evil secrets of tyrants should be concealed from the citizens. 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