--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is always safe to learn, even from our…" description: "\"It is always safe to learn, even from our enemies; seldom safe to venture to instruct, even our friends.\" — Charles Caleb Colton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/charles-caleb-colton-270_education_it-is-always-safe-to-learn-even-from-our_3031673.png" --- # It is always safe to learn, even from our enemies; seldom… ![“It is always safe to learn, even from our enemies; seldom safe to venture to instruct, even our friends.” quote by Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/charles-caleb-colton-270_education_it-is-always-safe-to-learn-even-from-our_3031673.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/charles-caleb-colton-270_education_it-is-always-safe-to-learn-even-from-our_3031673.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/charles-caleb-colton-270_education_it-is-always-safe-to-learn-even-from-our_3031673.png) > “It is always safe to learn, even from our enemies; seldom safe to venture to instruct, even our friends.” [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Learning from all sources, even adversaries, is prudent; teaching others, even friends, carries risk. **In simple terms:** Learn from everyone; teaching can be dangerous. Key Takeaway Seek knowledge broadly, teach wisely. Themes learning wisdom trust communication Mood cautious reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - political negotiation - personal relationships - leadership training - conflict resolution Key Concepts epistemology social dynamics risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - Who can you learn from that you overlook? - When might teaching backfire? A Different Perspective Teaching may expose you to bias or backlash. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Enemies Seldom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemies-seldom-2247931/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Instruct Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instruct-friends-4955537/) [Learn Enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-enemies-1379816/) [Safe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safe/) [Safe Learn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safe-learn-4955536/) [Seldom Safe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seldom-safe-2509953/) [Venture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/venture/) ## Related quotes > [“Unfortunately, wisdom and happiness are old enemies, and where one can be found, the other seldom lingers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-j-colt/unfortunately-wisdom-and-happiness-are-old-enemies-and-where-one-can/) [K.J. Colt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-j-colt/) > [A secret is seldom safe in more than one breast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/a-secret-is-seldom-safe-in-more-than-one-breast/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Men will not receive the truth from their enemies, and it is seldom offered to them by their friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/men-will-not-receive-the-truth-from-their-enemies-and-it-is-seldom/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Morality is seldom a safe guide for human conduct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-fitzgerald/morality-is-seldom-a-safe-guide-for-human-conduct/) [Penelope Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-fitzgerald/) > [We can learn even from our enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/we-can-learn-even-from-our-enemies/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [Men of sense often learn from their enemies. It is from their foes, not their friends, that cities learn the lesson of building high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/men-of-sense-often-learn-from-their-enemies-it-is-from-their-foes-not-2/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [You have so much to learn from your enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/you-have-so-much-to-learn-from-your-enemies/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [You're mistaken; men of sense often learn much from their enemies. Prudence is the best safeguard. This principle cannot be learnt from a friend:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/you-re-mistaken-men-of-sense-often-learn-much-from-their-enemies/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [You learn from your friends but you learn more from your enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-dangoor/you-learn-from-your-friends-but-you-learn-more-from-your-enemies/) [Robert D Dangoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-dangoor/) > [“Men of sense often learn from their enemies. It is from their foes, not their friends, that cities learn the lesson of building high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/men-of-sense-often-learn-from-their-enemies-it-is-from-their-foes-not/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [Fas est ab hoste doceri. 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In the voyage of life, they profess to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/it-has-been-said-that-men-carry-on-a-kind-of-coasting-trade-with/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [As there are none so weak that we may venture to injure them with impunity, so there are none so low that they may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/as-there-are-none-so-weak-that-we-may-venture-to-injure-them-with/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) ## More by Charles Caleb Colton > [Villainy that is vigilant will be an overmatch for virtue, if she slumber at her post.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/villainy-that-is-vigilant-will-be-an-overmatch-for-virtue-if-she/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [A beautiful woman, if poor, should use double circumspection; for her beauty will tempt others, her poverty herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/a-beautiful-woman-if-poor-should-use-double-circumspection-for-her/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Were the life of man prolonged, he would become such a proficient in villainy, that it would become necessary again to drown or to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/were-the-life-of-man-prolonged-he-would-become-such-a-proficient-in/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [To dare to live alone is the rarest courage; since there are many who had rather meet their bitterest enemy in the field, than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/to-dare-to-live-alone-is-the-rarest-courage-since-there-are-many-who/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [It is doubtful whether mankind are most indebted to those who like Bacon and Butler dig the gold from the mine of literature, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/it-is-doubtful-whether-mankind-are-most-indebted-to-those-who-like/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Be very slow to believe that you are wiser than all others; it is a fatal but common error. 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