--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man can choose his enemies but not his…" description: "\"A man can choose his enemies but not his supporters.\" — Grace Zaring Stone" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/grace-zaring-stone-75505_enemy_a-man-can-choose-his-enemies-but-not-his_2115309.jpg" --- # A man can choose his enemies but not his supporters. ![“A man can choose his enemies but not his supporters.” quote by Grace Zaring Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/grace-zaring-stone-75505_enemy_a-man-can-choose-his-enemies-but-not-his_2115309.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/grace-zaring-stone-75505_enemy_a-man-can-choose-his-enemies-but-not-his_2115309.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/grace-zaring-stone-75505_enemy_a-man-can-choose-his-enemies-but-not-his_2115309.jpg) > “A man can choose his enemies but not his supporters.” Grace Zaring Stone ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People can select who opposes them, but cannot control who backs them. **In simple terms:** Choose enemies, not supporters. Key Takeaway Accept limited control over allies. Themes choice relationships power control trust Mood cautious reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - political campaigns - personal conflicts - business negotiations Key Concepts agency social dynamics political strategy Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle unexpected allies? - Can you influence supporters? A Different Perspective Supporters may have hidden agendas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemies/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [Choose your enemies wisely ...you may know them , but you don't know who is standing behind them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandy-yeazel/choose-your-enemies-wisely-you-may-know-them-but-you-don-t-know-who/) Brandy Yeazel > [Foreknowledge of the future makes it possible to manipulate both enemies and supporters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-aron/foreknowledge-of-the-future-makes-it-possible-to-manipulate-both/) [Raymond Aron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-aron/) > [“We don’t choose our enemies, Robert thought. They choose us – and there is not a damn thing we can do about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-valoppi/we-don-t-choose-our-enemies-robert-thought-they-choose-us-and-there/) Jennifer Valoppi > [Choose your enemies carefully 'cause they will define you Make them interesting 'cause in some ways they will mind you They're not there in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/choose-your-enemies-carefully-cause-they-will-define-you-make-them/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“a man has to choose me or lose me. I’m not a backup plan.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-t-geissinger/a-man-has-to-choose-me-or-lose-me-i-m-not-a-backup-plan/) [J.T. Geissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-t-geissinger/) > [When a man cannot choose, he ceases to be a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-kubrick/when-a-man-cannot-choose-he-ceases-to-be-a-man/) [Stanley Kubrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-kubrick/) > [It is the woman who chooses the man who will choose her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-the-woman-who-chooses-the-man-who-will-choose-her/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Only a fool lets somebody else tell him who his enemy is…never let your enemies choose your enemies for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/only-a-fool-lets-somebody-else-tell-him-who-his-enemy-is-never-let/) [Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/) > [“If a man is powerful, then his rival must therefore also be powerful. The other’s prestige enhances your own. So choose your enemies wisely.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/if-a-man-is-powerful-then-his-rival-must-therefore-also-be-powerful/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [If you choose to criticize, you choose your enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/if-you-choose-to-criticize-you-choose-your-enemies/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) > [We will love our enemies, but not make alliances with them. They were placed in our path in order to test our sword, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-will-love-our-enemies-but-not-make-alliances-with-them-they-were/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Only the following items should be considered to be grave faults: not respecting another's rights; allowing oneself to be paralyzed by fear; feeling guilty;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/only-the-following-items-should-be-considered-to-be-grave-faults-not/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There are two things in life you cannot choose. The first is your enemies; the second your family. Sometimes the difference between them is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/there-are-two-things-in-life-you-cannot-choose-the-first-is-your/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [Choose your friends carefully, and even more importantly choose your enemies wisely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/choose-your-friends-carefully-and-even-more-importantly-choose-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Choose your enemies carefully: you'll probably be known much better and far longer for who they were, than for anything else you ever managed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/choose-your-enemies-carefully-you-ll-probably-be-known-much-better/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) ## More by Grace Zaring Stone > [adolescence is a sort of underworld we have to live through. Everything is in us, even vice and crime. At the same time we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-zaring-stone/adolescence-is-a-sort-of-underworld-we-have-to-live-through/) Grace Zaring Stone > [in religion even when the reward is far the hope is so immediate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-zaring-stone/in-religion-even-when-the-reward-is-far-the-hope-is-so-immediate/) Grace Zaring Stone Explore all 3 Grace Zaring Stone quotes ## More Choose quotes > [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/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [If somebody asks me to choose a biopic, it would be Narain Karthikeyan because I love racing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naga-chaitanya/if-somebody-asks-me-to-choose-a-biopic-it-would-be-narain-karthikeyan/) [Naga Chaitanya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naga-chaitanya/) > [“Either you soften your ego, or the world will do it for you. Choose!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-mccoy/either-you-soften-your-ego-or-the-world-will-do-it-for-you-choose/) [Bert McCoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-mccoy/) > [I'm aware of who I am and I'm comfortable with who I choose to date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shibani-dandekar/i-m-aware-of-who-i-am-and-i-m-comfortable-with-who-i-choose-to-date/) [Shibani Dandekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shibani-dandekar/) > [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [If you choose to work at a larger company over a smaller company, you are more likely to be higher paid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-sweet/if-you-choose-to-work-at-a-larger-company-over-a-smaller-company-you/) [Julie Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-sweet/) > [You can't choose what stays and what stays away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-welch/you-can-t-choose-what-stays-and-what-stays-away/) [Florence Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-welch/) > [It's only a thought and a thought can be changed. Choose good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/it-s-only-a-thought-and-a-thought-can-be-changed-choose-good-ones/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime...so you gotta choose who is good for you! Be wise, be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-come-into-your-life-for-a-reason-a-season-or-a-lifetime-so-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not opposed - we manufacture a lot of socks in North Carolina - I just choose not to wear them. It's a Southern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-burr/i-m-not-opposed-we-manufacture-a-lot-of-socks-in-north-carolina-i/) [Richard Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-burr/) > [Having too many options is bad. I want one person, just one. Not a whole bunch to choose from,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roderickthefirst/having-too-many-options-is-bad-i-want-one-person-just-one-not-a-whole/) RoderickTheFirst > [If I could be anyone, I'd choose the lead singer of Arcade Fire, Win Butler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-kardashian/if-i-could-be-anyone-i-d-choose-the-lead-singer-of-arcade-fire-win/) [Rob Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-kardashian/) > [People are as happy as they choose to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/people-are-as-happy-as-they-choose-to-be/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) Browse all 3,851 Choose quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man can choose his enemies but not his supporters.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Grace Zaring Stone" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-zaring-stone/a-man-can-choose-his-enemies-but-not-his-supporters/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Choose" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-zaring-stone/a-man-can-choose-his-enemies-but-not-his-supporters/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/grace-zaring-stone-75505_enemy_a-man-can-choose-his-enemies-but-not-his_2115309.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/grace-zaring-stone-75505_enemy_a-man-can-choose-his-enemies-but-not-his_2115309.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/grace-zaring-stone-75505_enemy_a-man-can-choose-his-enemies-but-not-his_2115309.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man can choose his enemies but not his supporters.” — Grace Zaring Stone", "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": "Grace Zaring Stone", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-zaring-stone/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man can choose his enemies...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-zaring-stone/a-man-can-choose-his-enemies-but-not-his-supporters/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-zaring-stone/a-man-can-choose-his-enemies-but-not-his-supporters/#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 } } ] } ```