--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We don’t choose our enemies, Robert…" description: "\"“We don’t choose our enemies, Robert thought. They choose us – and there is not a damn thing we can do about it.”\" — Jennifer Valoppi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2e/jennifer-valoppi-247405_enemies_we-don-t-choose-our-enemies-robert-thoug_681946.jpg" --- # We don’t choose our enemies, Robert thought. They choose… ![“We don’t choose our enemies, Robert thought. They choose us – and there is not a damn thing we can do about it.” quote by Jennifer Valoppi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2e/jennifer-valoppi-247405_enemies_we-don-t-choose-our-enemies-robert-thoug_681946.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2e/jennifer-valoppi-247405_enemies_we-don-t-choose-our-enemies-robert-thoug_681946.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2e/jennifer-valoppi-247405_enemies_we-don-t-choose-our-enemies-robert-thoug_681946.jpg) > ““We don’t choose our enemies, Robert thought. They choose us – and there is not a damn thing we can do about it.”” Jennifer Valoppi ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Enemies are often chosen for us; we have limited control over conflict. **In simple terms:** We can’t choose all adversaries; some are imposed. Key Takeaway Accept limited control over conflict. Themes conflict agency acceptance power destiny Mood reflective realistic Type Enemies:1 Enemy:1 Fighting:0 Fighting battles:0 Fighting spirit:0 Robert:0 Choose Enemies:0 Enemies Robert:0 Robert Thought:0 When to use this quote - political negotiations - personal relationships - social movements Key Concepts enemy selection social dynamics personal agency Questions to Reflect On - How can you influence hostile dynamics? - What strategies reduce forced conflict? A Different Perspective Focusing on enemies may ignore solutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemies/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Fighting battles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting-battles/) [Fighting spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting-spirit/) ## Related quotes > [“In the midst of the turbulence, we hang onto hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/in-the-midst-of-the-turbulence-we-hang-onto-hope/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Adversities are opportunities for a daring life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/adversities-are-opportunities-for-a-daring-life/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“I am a great warrior.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/i-am-a-great-warrior/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Madoka: Won't anyone notice that Mami-san is dead? Homura: Mami Tomoe's only relatives are distant relations. It will be quite some time before anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magica-quartet/madoka-won-t-anyone-notice-that-mami-san-is-dead-homura-mami-tomoe-s/) [Magica Quartet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magica-quartet/) > [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 > [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/) > [A man can choose his enemies but not his supporters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-zaring-stone/a-man-can-choose-his-enemies-but-not-his-supporters/) Grace Zaring Stone > [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 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/) > [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 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": "“We don’t choose our enemies, Robert thought. 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