--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He knew from long experience that a…" description: "\"“He knew from long experience that a letter sent in fury merely put a weapon into the hands of your enemy”\" — Ian McEwan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be4/ian-mcewan-494_letter_he-knew-from-long-experience-that-a-lett_1754941.png" --- # He knew from long experience that a letter sent in fury… ![“He knew from long experience that a letter sent in fury merely put a weapon into the hands of your enemy” quote by Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be4/ian-mcewan-494_letter_he-knew-from-long-experience-that-a-lett_1754941.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be4/ian-mcewan-494_letter_he-knew-from-long-experience-that-a-lett_1754941.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be4/ian-mcewan-494_letter_he-knew-from-long-experience-that-a-lett_1754941.png) > ““He knew from long experience that a letter sent in fury merely put a weapon into the hands of your enemy”” [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sending angry letters fuels conflict, giving enemies more power. **In simple terms:** Angry messages empower opponents. Key Takeaway Pause before reacting in writing. Themes communication conflict emotions Mood tense thoughtful Type ethical practical When to use this quote - personal relationships - workplace disputes - social media interactions - customer service Key Concepts psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can you express anger constructively? - What alternative actions can defuse tension? A Different Perspective Sometimes immediate expression is needed to prevent escalation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Experience Letter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience-letter-1639358/) [Fury Merely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fury-merely-1639357/) [Letter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letter/) [Letter Sent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letter-sent-1639356/) [Sent Fury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sent-fury-1639355/) ## Related quotes > [“He knew from long experience that a letter sent in fury merely put a weapon into the hands of your enemy. 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A: Black mail!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uncle-amon/what-do-you-call-a-letter-sent-up-the-chimney-on-christmas-eve-a/) [Uncle Amon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uncle-amon/) > [One of the things that gave me most pleasure was a letter sent to me by Sebastian Vettel, written in his own hand, full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niki-lauda/one-of-the-things-that-gave-me-most-pleasure-was-a-letter-sent-to-me/) [Niki Lauda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niki-lauda/) > [“We ought not to READ the scriptures, but listen to them, for our Beloved is present and speaks to us through them. (vs. it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/basil-pennington/we-ought-not-to-read-the-scriptures-but-listen-to-them-for-our/) [Basil Pennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/basil-pennington/) > [It took us most of the morning to put together the letter she sent to the Frontier Management Department, and I learned a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-c-wrede/it-took-us-most-of-the-morning-to-put-together-the-letter-she-sent-to/) [Patricia C. Wrede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-c-wrede/) > [“I think you overestimate the maturity of adults, he wrote me in his final letter, a letter he sent only after I’d broken down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-nelson/i-think-you-overestimate-the-maturity-of-adults-he-wrote-me-in-his/) [Maggie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-nelson/) > [“Dear Sixpence, I saved them all, you know. Every letter you ever sent, even those to which I never replied. 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It's my chance to take all of the villains I've worked with and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-johns/forever-evil-is-my-love-letter-to-dc-super-villains-it-s-my-chance-to/) [Geoff Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-johns/) > [Letter-writing on the part of a busy man or woman is the quintessence of generosity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/letter-writing-on-the-part-of-a-busy-man-or-woman-is-the-quintessence/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [Another success is the post-office, with its educating energy augmented by cheapness and guarded by a certain religious sentimentin mankind; so that the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/another-success-is-the-post-office-with-its-educating-energy/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More by Ian McEwan > [“As you will see, we do not believe that artists have an obligation to strike up attitudes to the war. Indeed, they are wise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/as-you-will-see-we-do-not-believe-that-artists-have-an-obligation-to/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [You could say that all novels are spy novels and all novelists are spy masters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/you-could-say-that-all-novels-are-spy-novels-and-all-novelists-are/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [I've never had a moment's doubt. I love you. I believe in you completely. You are my dearest one. My reason for life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/i-ve-never-had-a-moment-s-doubt-i-love-you-i-believe-in-you/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“It is shaming sometimes, how the body will not, or cannot, lie about emotions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/it-is-shaming-sometimes-how-the-body-will-not-or-cannot-lie-about/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“While my friends struggled and calculated, I reached a solution by a set of floating steps that were partly visual, partly just a feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/while-my-friends-struggled-and-calculated-i-reached-a-solution-by-a/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“Once, on a walk by a river- Eskdale in low reddish sunlight, with a dusting of snow- his daughter quoted to him an opening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/once-on-a-walk-by-a-river-eskdale-in-low-reddish-sunlight-with-a/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“Perhaps it's one of those cases of a microcosm giving you the whole world. Like a spode dinner plate. Or a single cell. Or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/perhaps-it-s-one-of-those-cases-of-a-microcosm-giving-you-the-whole/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [Who you get, and how it works out- there's so much luck involved, as well as the million branching consequences of your conscious choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/who-you-get-and-how-it-works-out-there-s-so-much-luck-involved-as/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“On Chesil Beach he could have called out to Florence, he could have gone after her. He did not know, or would not have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/on-chesil-beach-he-could-have-called-out-to-florence-he-could-have/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [It was always the view of my parents...that hot weather encouraged loose morals among young people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/it-was-always-the-view-of-my-parents-that-hot-weather-encouraged/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [I apologize for being obvious, but every time I watch the curtain come down on even a halfway decent production of a Shakespeare play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/i-apologize-for-being-obvious-but-every-time-i-watch-the-curtain-come/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [I would rather be physically disabled obviously than mentally. I would rather be paraplegic than nuts. And it is a terrifying prospect and actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/i-would-rather-be-physically-disabled-obviously-than-mentally-i-would/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“Words, as I'm beginning to appreciate, can make things true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/words-as-i-m-beginning-to-appreciate-can-make-things-true/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [I couldn't think about novels at all. It seemed the only writing that was appropriate to that horrendous event was journalism, reportage. And, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/i-couldn-t-think-about-novels-at-all-it-seemed-the-only-writing-that/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [I did not kill my father, but I sometimes felt I had helped him on his way. And but for the fact that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/i-did-not-kill-my-father-but-i-sometimes-felt-i-had-helped-him-on-his/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) [Explore all 496 Ian McEwan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) ## More Letter quotes > [Another success is the post-office, with its educating energy augmented by cheapness and guarded by a certain religious sentimentin mankind; so that the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/another-success-is-the-post-office-with-its-educating-energy/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Letter-writing on the part of a busy man or woman is the quintessence of generosity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/letter-writing-on-the-part-of-a-busy-man-or-woman-is-the-quintessence/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > ['Forever Evil' is my love letter to DC super villains. It's my chance to take all of the villains I've worked with and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-johns/forever-evil-is-my-love-letter-to-dc-super-villains-it-s-my-chance-to/) [Geoff Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-johns/) > [What truly gives me joy is when I get a letter from a young woman who says they saw a programme, then read a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/what-truly-gives-me-joy-is-when-i-get-a-letter-from-a-young-woman-who/) [Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/) > [“You need a new story; one that starts with this letter and ends with you holding my Rah.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lola-st-vil/you-need-a-new-story-one-that-starts-with-this-letter-and-ends-with/) [Lola St.Vil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lola-st-vil/) > [“- Mom, can I tell them there that I'm Romanian? - Sure, why not tell them? - I was thinking that they wouldn't think...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-enescu/mom-can-i-tell-them-there-that-i-m-romanian-sure-why-not-tell-them-i/) [George Enescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-enescu/) > [The sending of a letter constitutes a magical grasp upon the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/the-sending-of-a-letter-constitutes-a-magical-grasp-upon-the-future/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [When you have to write a letter, you're automatically put into a state of composure and a kind of formality. You can't help it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-bateman/when-you-have-to-write-a-letter-you-re-automatically-put-into-a-state/) [Justine Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-bateman/) > [“ 134. Letters are Commonplace Letters are commonplace enough, yet what splendid things they are! When someone is in a distant province and one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sei-shonagon/134-letters-are-commonplace-letters-are-commonplace-enough-yet-what/) [Sei Shonagon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sei-shonagon/) > [“Clary, Despite everything, I can't bear the thought of this ring being lost forever, any more then I can bear the thought of leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clary-despite-everything-i-can-t-bear-the-thought-of-this-ring-being/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“My Dear Mrs Winter. 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