--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The enemy is within./ Don't confuse me…" description: "\"The enemy is within./ Don't confuse me with him./ The truth is not all wise./ Stupidity tries.\" — Elliott Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/elliott-smith-8566_life-itself_the-enemy-is-within-don-t-confuse-me-wit_1365281.jpg" --- # The enemy is within./ Don't confuse me with him./ The… ![“The enemy is within./ Don't confuse me with him./ The truth is not all wise./ Stupidity tries.” quote by Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/elliott-smith-8566_life-itself_the-enemy-is-within-don-t-confuse-me-wit_1365281.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/elliott-smith-8566_life-itself_the-enemy-is-within-don-t-confuse-me-wit_1365281.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/elliott-smith-8566_life-itself_the-enemy-is-within-don-t-confuse-me-wit_1365281.jpg) > “The enemy is within./ Don't confuse me with him./ The truth is not all wise./ Stupidity tries.” [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Internal conflict arises when we misjudge ourselves and others, leading to misguided judgments. **In simple terms:** Self‑deception creates inner enemies. Key Takeaway Question your assumptions about truth. Themes self‑awareness truth conflict Mood introspective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal relationships - team dynamics - political discourse Key Concepts cognitive bias self‑deception Questions to Reflect On - What inner assumptions shape your view of truth? - How do you recognize self‑deception? A Different Perspective Ignoring inner bias can reinforce false narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Confuse Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confuse-truth-232973/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Life itself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-itself/) [Stupidity Tries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupidity-tries-4685810/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-wise-709504/) [Wise Stupidity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-stupidity-4685811/) ## Related quotes > [How could anybody confuse truth with beauty, I thought as I looked at him. Truth came with sunken eyes, bony or scarred, decayed. Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/how-could-anybody-confuse-truth-with-beauty-i-thought-as-i-looked-at/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [Myths are fun, as long as you don't confuse them with the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/myths-are-fun-as-long-as-you-don-t-confuse-them-with-the-truth/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [All these social media sites allow us to confuse truth and popularity. That has to be fixed. Because every normal citizen has a right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chamath-palihapitiya/all-these-social-media-sites-allow-us-to-confuse-truth-and-popularity/) [Chamath Palihapitiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chamath-palihapitiya/) > [Today we live in a world now where it is easy to confuse truth and popularity. And you can use money to amplify whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chamath-palihapitiya/today-we-live-in-a-world-now-where-it-is-easy-to-confuse-truth-and/) [Chamath Palihapitiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chamath-palihapitiya/) > [The truth is already in front of us. Wise will believe but others are blinded by faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-ribeiro/the-truth-is-already-in-front-of-us-wise-will-believe-but-others-are/) [Malcolm Ribeiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-ribeiro/) > [We think a wise person is someone who solves problems. Truth is, a wise person is someone who avoids problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prem-rawat/we-think-a-wise-person-is-someone-who-solves-problems-truth-is-a-wise/) [Prem Rawat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prem-rawat/) > [The true child of universe insight looks for the living Spirit of Truth in every wise saying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-tonge-http-visionafarcom/the-true-child-of-universe-insight-looks-for-the-living-spirit-of/) [Gary Tonge - Http://VisionAfarcom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-tonge-http-visionafarcom/) > [So near is falsehood to truth that a wise man would do well not to trust himself on the narrow edge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/so-near-is-falsehood-to-truth-that-a-wise-man-would-do-well-not-to/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“Rigveda: Book No 1. Hyme No. 164 verse 46: “Truth, one and the same be, Wise describe it differently”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/munindra-misra/rigveda-book-no-1-hyme-no-164-verse-46-truth-one-and-the-same-be-wise/) [Munindra Misra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/munindra-misra/) > [“An honest man speaks the truth, but a wise man searches for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-w-mauldin/an-honest-man-speaks-the-truth-but-a-wise-man-searches-for-it/) [L.W. Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-w-mauldin/) > [“Truth is one: (though) the wise call it by various names.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/truth-is-one-though-the-wise-call-it-by-various-names/) [Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/) > [I speak the foregoing truth, the same old truth the wise spoke, to the left savages of this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-quperlier/i-speak-the-foregoing-truth-the-same-old-truth-the-wise-spoke-to-the/) [Simon Quperlier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-quperlier/) > [More often than not, in order to find truth, a wise man must suffer the ravings of the insane. There is no undiscovered truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-r-audette/more-often-than-not-in-order-to-find-truth-a-wise-man-must-suffer-the/) [Derek R. Audette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-r-audette/) > [There is in every truth a wise saying, and in every contradiction, two wise sayings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/there-is-in-every-truth-a-wise-saying-and-in-every-contradiction-two/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [“The truth is that none of us is wise enough to know our best future. We do not have the vision to see around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-morrison/the-truth-is-that-none-of-us-is-wise-enough-to-know-our-best-future/) [Jon Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-morrison/) ## More by Elliott Smith > [Somewhere where people aren't so mad would be nice, but I don't know if there is anywhere like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/somewhere-where-people-aren-t-so-mad-would-be-nice-but-i-don-t-know/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [I actually don't think that I'm gonna sell a lot of records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-actually-don-t-think-that-i-m-gonna-sell-a-lot-of-records/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [Because God only knows why people like what they like and don't like something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/because-god-only-knows-why-people-like-what-they-like-and-don-t-like/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [My girlfriend at the time convinced me to send these songs to Cavity Search. When they wanted to put out my record I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/my-girlfriend-at-the-time-convinced-me-to-send-these-songs-to-cavity/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [People think they know all these things about other people, and if you ask them why they think they know that, it'd be hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/people-think-they-know-all-these-things-about-other-people-and-if-you/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [I didn't think I was gonna be playing on the Oscars or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-didn-t-think-i-was-gonna-be-playing-on-the-oscars-or-anything/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [All your secret wishes could right now be coming true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/all-your-secret-wishes-could-right-now-be-coming-true/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [I can't think of anything off the top of my head that seems more important than something designed to raise money to keep something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-can-t-think-of-anything-off-the-top-of-my-head-that-seems-more/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [I went walking around the city some more, people watching with a cold, blank stare. And I saw your face in everyone, I swear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-went-walking-around-the-city-some-more-people-watching-with-a-cold/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [There are lots of things I like about playing in a band, the things I can't do by myself you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/there-are-lots-of-things-i-like-about-playing-in-a-band-the-things-i/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [The band's filter, but playing live is a lot of fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/the-band-s-filter-but-playing-live-is-a-lot-of-fun/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [Well, I try not to think about the general public since I have no idea what the general public is and I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/well-i-try-not-to-think-about-the-general-public-since-i-have-no-idea/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [People can be chaos but it's hard to fit it into some creative piece that you made. It's hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/people-can-be-chaos-but-it-s-hard-to-fit-it-into-some-creative-piece/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [“Tired of dancing on a pot of gold flake paint”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/tired-of-dancing-on-a-pot-of-gold-flake-paint/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [A lot of people are kind of depressed. I'm happy some of the time, and some of the time I'm not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/a-lot-of-people-are-kind-of-depressed-i-m-happy-some-of-the-time-and/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) [Explore all 80 Elliott Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) ## More Enemy quotes > [Shall there be truth between us, as two men? Not as friends, but as enemies and equals?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/shall-there-be-truth-between-us-as-two-men-not-as-friends-but-as/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [“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/) > [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [Fear is a man's worst enemy, but love is a man's most powerful weapon against anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fear-is-a-man-s-worst-enemy-but-love-is-a-man-s-most-powerful-weapon/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [“Never let your Enemies become your Advocates.” by A. K. Hasan”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-hasan/never-let-your-enemies-become-your-advocates-by-a-k-hasan/) [A.K. Hasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-k-hasan/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power & movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't see why we and the Chinese should have to be enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-don-t-see-why-we-and-the-chinese-should-have-to-be-enemies/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [The invention of gunpowder and the constant improvement of firearms are enough in themselves to show that the advance of civilization has done nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-invention-of-gunpowder-and-the-constant-improvement-of-firearms/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [Perfection is the enemy of greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/perfection-is-the-enemy-of-greatness/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [In this business, you find the enemy, then go after and destroy him. Everything else is rubbish!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-rickenbacker/in-this-business-you-find-the-enemy-then-go-after-and-destroy-him/) [Eddie Rickenbacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-rickenbacker/) > [“Enemies Teach. Friends Preach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tapan-ghosh/enemies-teach-friends-preach/) [Tapan Ghosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tapan-ghosh/) [Browse all 7,981 Enemy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The enemy is within./ Don't confuse me with him./ The truth is not all wise./ Stupidity tries.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elliott Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/the-enemy-is-within-don-t-confuse-me-with-him-the-truth-is-not-all/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enemy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/the-enemy-is-within-don-t-confuse-me-with-him-the-truth-is-not-all/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/elliott-smith-8566_life-itself_the-enemy-is-within-don-t-confuse-me-wit_1365281.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/elliott-smith-8566_life-itself_the-enemy-is-within-don-t-confuse-me-wit_1365281.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/elliott-smith-8566_life-itself_the-enemy-is-within-don-t-confuse-me-wit_1365281.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The enemy is within./ Don't confuse me with him./ The truth is not all wise./ Stupidity tries.” — Elliott Smith", "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": "Elliott Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The enemy is within./ Don't confuse...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/the-enemy-is-within-don-t-confuse-me-with-him-the-truth-is-not-all/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/the-enemy-is-within-don-t-confuse-me-with-him-the-truth-is-not-all/#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 } } ] } ```