--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can't make yourself understood by…" description: "\"If you can't make yourself understood by your friends, you'll be in trouble when your enemies come for you.\" — Hunter S. Thompson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f2/hunter-s-thompson-278_enemy_if-you-can-t-make-yourself-understood-by_1423105.jpg" --- # If you can't make yourself understood by your friends… ![“If you can't make yourself understood by your friends, you'll be in trouble when your enemies come for you.” quote by Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f2/hunter-s-thompson-278_enemy_if-you-can-t-make-yourself-understood-by_1423105.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f2/hunter-s-thompson-278_enemy_if-you-can-t-make-yourself-understood-by_1423105.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f2/hunter-s-thompson-278_enemy_if-you-can-t-make-yourself-understood-by_1423105.jpg) > “If you can't make yourself understood by your friends, you'll be in trouble when your enemies come for you.” [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If friends can't understand you, enemies will exploit that misunderstanding. **In simple terms:** Misunderstood by friends invites enemy advantage. Key Takeaway Communicate clearly with allies to prevent exploitation. Themes communication trust conflict Mood strategic warning Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - team building - negotiation training - crisis communication - leadership workshops Key Concepts strategy misunderstanding social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How to ensure friends truly understand you? - What safeguards protect against enemy manipulation? A Different Perspective Even clear communication can fail under stress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemies/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) ## Related quotes > [I have no trouble with y enemies. But my god damn friends... they are the ones that keep me walking the floors at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-levant/i-have-no-trouble-with-y-enemies-but-my-god-damn-friends-they-are-the/) [Oscar Levant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-levant/) > [I have no trouble with my enemies. I can take care of my enemies in a fight. But my friends, my goddamned friends, they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-no-trouble-with-my-enemies-i-can-take-care-of-my-enemies-in-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Enemies come soon enough in a mans life,' he told me, 'you don't need to seek them out”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/enemies-come-soon-enough-in-a-mans-life-he-told-me-you-don-t-need-to/) [Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/) > [Our enemies come nearer the truth in the opinions they form of us than we do in our opinion of ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-enemies-come-nearer-the-truth-in-the-opinions-they-form-of-us/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [If bright minds were to be understood, they would have too many friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juju/if-bright-minds-were-to-be-understood-they-would-have-too-many-friends/) [Juju](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juju/) > [My friends don't understand what I see in him. They all wonder why. They don't understand that he can make me smile even when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-friends-don-t-understand-what-i-see-in-him-they-all-wonder-why/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was always into music. And none of my friends were really into music the same way I was. So it was just different.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-mcbride/i-was-always-into-music-and-none-of-my-friends-were-really-into-music/) [Martina McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-mcbride/) > [When there is trouble, enemies are sometimes forced to get together to solve problems!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/when-there-is-trouble-enemies-are-sometimes-forced-to-get-together-to/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [I have no trouble with my enemies. But my goddam friends,...they are the ones that keep me walking the floor nights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-levant/i-have-no-trouble-with-my-enemies-but-my-goddam-friends-they-are-the/) [Oscar Levant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-levant/) > [I have no trouble with my enemies. I can take care of my enemies all right. But my damn friends...They're the ones that keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-gamaliel-harding/i-have-no-trouble-with-my-enemies-i-can-take-care-of-my-enemies-all/) Warren Gamaliel Harding > [Beware of enemies who come disguised as friends, if a person hates you they won't want to see you succeeding at anything and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-rowe/beware-of-enemies-who-come-disguised-as-friends-if-a-person-hates-you/) [Rashida Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-rowe/) > [Forgiveness of enemies can only come upon their repentance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/forgiveness-of-enemies-can-only-come-upon-their-repentance/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Henceforth we will tackle our enemies that come face to face with us and we will not be stabbed in from behind by internal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mengistu-haile-mariam/henceforth-we-will-tackle-our-enemies-that-come-face-to-face-with-us/) [Mengistu Haile Mariam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mengistu-haile-mariam/) > [“Gadol spit up blood, coughing. “They break the land itself!” he hissed, eyes wild. “They want it, but in their rage they will destroy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/gadol-spit-up-blood-coughing-they-break-the-land-itself-he-hissed/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Admittedly, the enemies often come from within. The greatest teacher is often meant with too much competition and opposition from their own outstanding students.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/admittedly-the-enemies-often-come-from-within-the-greatest-teacher-is/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) ## More by Hunter S. Thompson > [“There was also the fact that sending a penniless writer to get $135 worth of beer was — as Khrushchev said of Nixon —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-was-also-the-fact-that-sending-a-penniless-writer-to-get-135/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“Cases of champagne and scotch lay broken in the street, and everyone I saw had a bottle. They were screaming and dancing, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/cases-of-champagne-and-scotch-lay-broken-in-the-street-and-everyone-i/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [No music + Bad TV = Bad mood & no pages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-music-bad-tv-bad-mood-no-pages/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [By disgracing and degrading the presidency of the United States, by fleeing the White House like a diseased cur, Richard Nixon broke the heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/by-disgracing-and-degrading-the-presidency-of-the-united-states-by/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [No one holds command over me. No man. No god. No Prince. What is a claim of age for ones who are immortal? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-one-holds-command-over-me-no-man-no-god-no-prince-what-is-a-claim/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“The person who doesn't scatter the morning dew will not comb grey hairs”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/the-person-who-doesn-t-scatter-the-morning-dew-will-not-comb-grey/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Hope rises and dreams flicker and die. Love plans for tomorrow and loneliness thinks of yesterday. Life is beautiful and living is pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/hope-rises-and-dreams-flicker-and-die-love-plans-for-tomorrow-and/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [If we get chased out of Iraq with our tail between our legs, that will be the fifth consecutive Third-world country with no hint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/if-we-get-chased-out-of-iraq-with-our-tail-between-our-legs-that-will/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [At age 22 I set what I insist is an all-time record for distance hitchhiking in Bermuda shorts: 3,700 miles in three weeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/at-age-22-i-set-what-i-insist-is-an-all-time-record-for-distance/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Paranoia is just another mask for ignorance. The truth, when you finally chase it down is almost always far worse than your darkest visions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/paranoia-is-just-another-mask-for-ignorance-the-truth-when-you/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“No doubt they all Got What Was Coming To Them. All those pathetically eager acid freaks who thought they could buy Peace and Understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-doubt-they-all-got-what-was-coming-to-them-all-those-pathetically/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“For several months they'd been drifting toward political involvement, but the picture was hazy and one of the most confusing elements was their geographical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/for-several-months-they-d-been-drifting-toward-political-involvement/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [He wandered into the Newsroom and asked for a job the same way he’d walk into a barbershop and ask for a haircut, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/he-wandered-into-the-newsroom-and-asked-for-a-job-the-same-way-he-d/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [There's no point in getting into politics at all unless you plan to lash things around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-s-no-point-in-getting-into-politics-at-all-unless-you-plan-to/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [There’s a lot of things wrong with this country, but one of the few things still right with it is that a man can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-s-a-lot-of-things-wrong-with-this-country-but-one-of-the-few/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) [Explore all 765 Hunter S. Thompson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) ## More Enemies quotes > [“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 > [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/) > [“If it takes night to make day, pain to know pleasure, black to make white, then doesn't it stand to reason that the depth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snyder/if-it-takes-night-to-make-day-pain-to-know-pleasure-black-to-make/) Michael Snyder > [“Enemies Teach. Friends Preach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tapan-ghosh/enemies-teach-friends-preach/) [Tapan Ghosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tapan-ghosh/) > [Your greatest weapon is your enemies mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddha/your-greatest-weapon-is-your-enemies-mind/) [Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddha/) > [“THE UNFORGIVEN Tell me if you've ever had to deal with these kinds of people: The kind who take and don't give. The kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-unforgiven-tell-me-if-you-ve-ever-had-to-deal-with-these-kinds-of/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Sometimes even paranoids have enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delmore-schwartz/sometimes-even-paranoids-have-enemies/) [Delmore Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delmore-schwartz/) > [When a husband brings his wife flowers for no reason, there's a reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-mcgee/when-a-husband-brings-his-wife-flowers-for-no-reason-there-s-a-reason/) Molly McGee > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“Anyone who is portraying Israel as a friend is a servant of Israel. I warn some sides against turning enemies into friends and friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sayed-hassan-nasrallah/anyone-who-is-portraying-israel-as-a-friend-is-a-servant-of-israel-i/) [Sayed Hassan Nasrallah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sayed-hassan-nasrallah/) > [No accurate thinker will judge another person by that which the other person's enemies say about him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/no-accurate-thinker-will-judge-another-person-by-that-which-the-other/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Whoever will not love his enemies cannot know the Lord and the sweetness of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches us to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/whoever-will-not-love-his-enemies-cannot-know-the-lord-and-the/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [I play basketball hard-nosed and if you're not on my team, during that 48 minutes we're enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-barnes/i-play-basketball-hard-nosed-and-if-you-re-not-on-my-team-during-that/) [Matt Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-barnes/) > [“Enemies are people who's story you haven't heard, or who's face you haven't seen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irene-butter/enemies-are-people-who-s-story-you-haven-t-heard-or-who-s-face-you/) Irene Butter > [A sweet thing, perspective - a chance to see your enemies so small.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/a-sweet-thing-perspective-a-chance-to-see-your-enemies-so-small/) [Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/) [Browse all 1,888 Enemies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you can't make yourself understood by your friends, you'll be in trouble when your enemies come for you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hunter S. Thompson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/if-you-can-t-make-yourself-understood-by-your-friends-you-ll-be-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enemies" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/if-you-can-t-make-yourself-understood-by-your-friends-you-ll-be-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f2/hunter-s-thompson-278_enemy_if-you-can-t-make-yourself-understood-by_1423105.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f2/hunter-s-thompson-278_enemy_if-you-can-t-make-yourself-understood-by_1423105.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f2/hunter-s-thompson-278_enemy_if-you-can-t-make-yourself-understood-by_1423105.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you can't make yourself understood by your friends, you'll be in trouble when your enemies come for you.” — Hunter S. Thompson", "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": "Hunter S. Thompson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you can't make yourself understood...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/if-you-can-t-make-yourself-understood-by-your-friends-you-ll-be-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/if-you-can-t-make-yourself-understood-by-your-friends-you-ll-be-in/#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 } } ] } ```