--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A third reason why we should love our…" description: "\"A third reason why we should love our enemies is that love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. We never get rid of an ene..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/328/martin-luther-king-jr-127_capable_a-third-reason-why-we-should-love-our-en_3030640.jpg" --- # A third reason why we should love our enemies is that love… ![“A third reason why we should love our enemies is that love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. We never get rid of an enemy by meeting hate with hate; we get rid of an enemy by getting rid of enmity. By its very nature, hate destroys and tears down; by its very…” quote by Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/328/martin-luther-king-jr-127_capable_a-third-reason-why-we-should-love-our-en_3030640.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/328/martin-luther-king-jr-127_capable_a-third-reason-why-we-should-love-our-en_3030640.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/328/martin-luther-king-jr-127_capable_a-third-reason-why-we-should-love-our-en_3030640.jpg) > “A third reason why we should love our enemies is that love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. We never get rid of an enemy by meeting hate with hate; we get rid of an enemy by getting rid of enmity. By its very nature, hate destroys and tears down; by its very nature, love creates and builds up. Love transforms with redemptive power.” [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love, not hate, is the only force that can transform enemies into friends, building rather than destroying. **In simple terms:** Love changes enemies to friends. Key Takeaway Choose love over hate. Themes peace forgiveness transformation Mood hopeful determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - conflict resolution - personal relationships - social activism - community building Key Concepts redemptive power nonviolence Questions to Reflect On - How can you cultivate love toward a hostile person? - What steps turn hatred into compassion? A Different Perspective Love may be hard to practice when hurt runs deep. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capable/) [Enemies Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemies-love-962980/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Enmity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enmity/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-enemies/) [Love is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-is/) [Meetings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meetings/) [Nature love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-love/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Reason why](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason-why/) [Rid Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rid-enemy-3081883/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Tears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears/) [Thirds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirds/) [Transforming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transforming/) ## Related quotes > [Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, 'Love your enemies.' It is this: that love has within it a redemptive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/now-there-is-a-final-reason-i-think-that-jesus-says-love-your-enemies/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“We begin to love our enemies and love those persons that hate us whether in collective life or individual life by looking at ourselves.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/we-begin-to-love-our-enemies-and-love-those-persons-that-hate-us/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“We are just beginning to see the wonderful scientific truth in the philosophy which tells us to love our enemies, because if we hate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/we-are-just-beginning-to-see-the-wonderful-scientific-truth-in-the/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, Love your enemies. It is this: that love has within it a redemptive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/now-there-is-a-final-reason-i-think-that-jesus-says-love-your-enemies-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I love to remember my enemies and I love to get my enemies. I had some enemies. I had people that really I helped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-love-to-remember-my-enemies-and-i-love-to-get-my-enemies-i-had-some/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Lord we cry to you to teach us to love our enemies,to love our critics,not in word,but in deed also. We cry to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hmangte/lord-we-cry-to-you-to-teach-us-to-love-our-enemies-to-love-our/) [Steven Hmangte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hmangte/) > [To get rid of an enemy one must love him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-get-rid-of-an-enemy-one-must-love-him/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“I've always felt that the best way to get rid of any enemy is to make a friend of him. It's a policy that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-e-talmadge/i-ve-always-felt-that-the-best-way-to-get-rid-of-any-enemy-is-to-make/) [Herman E. Talmadge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-talmadge/) > [Every traditional ways in politics that you get rid of an enemy has not worked on Donald Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/every-traditional-ways-in-politics-that-you-get-rid-of-an-enemy-has/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Let us be practical and ask the question: How do we love our enemies?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/let-us-be-practical-and-ask-the-question-how-do-we-love-our-enemies/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Love even for enemies is the key to the solution of the problems of our world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/love-even-for-enemies-is-the-key-to-the-solution-of-the-problems-of/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Was not Jesus an extremist in love? - "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/was-not-jesus-an-extremist-in-love-love-your-enemies-bless-them-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Another reason why we must love our enemies is that hate scars the soul and distorts the personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/another-reason-why-we-must-love-our-enemies-is-that-hate-scars-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There's another reason why you should love your enemies, and that is because hate distorts the personality of the hater. We usually think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/there-s-another-reason-why-you-should-love-your-enemies-and-that-is/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Loving Your Enemies... Far from being the pious injunction of a utopian dreamer, this demand is an absolute necessity for the survival of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/loving-your-enemies-far-from-being-the-pious-injunction-of-a-utopian/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More by Martin Luther King, Jr > [The strong man holds in a living blend strongly marked opposites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-strong-man-holds-in-a-living-blend-strongly-marked-opposites/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. ... We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-nation-was-born-in-genocide-when-it-embraced-the-doctrine-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/every-genuine-expression-of-love-grows-out-of-a-consistent-and-total/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-remember-that-intelligence-is-not-enough-intelligence-plus/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I’ve been to the Mountaintop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-ve-been-to-the-mountaintop/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The supreme task is to organize and unite people so that their anger becomes a transforming force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-supreme-task-is-to-organize-and-unite-people-so-that-their-anger/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-great-issue-of-life-is-to-harness-the-drum-major-instinct/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somebody must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somebody-must-have-sense-enough-and-morality-enough-to-cut-off-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Darkness is only driven out with light, not more darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/darkness-is-only-driven-out-with-light-not-more-darkness/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [What seems so necessary today may not even be desirable tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/what-seems-so-necessary-today-may-not-even-be-desirable-tomorrow/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The Negro cannot win the respect of his oppressor by acquiescing; he merely increases the oppressor's arrogance and contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-negro-cannot-win-the-respect-of-his-oppressor-by-acquiescing-he/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The majority of the Negroes who took part in the year-long boycott of Montgomery's buses were poor and untutored; but they understood the essence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-majority-of-the-negroes-who-took-part-in-the-year-long-boycott-of/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity and it has worth,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/whenever-you-are-engaged-in-work-that-serves-humanity-and-is-for-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-have-a-dream-that-one-day-even-the-state-of-mississippi-a-desert/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) [Explore all 1,210 Martin Luther King, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More Capable quotes > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [Everybody is different. Some writers can write reams of great books and then J. D. Salinger wrote just a few. Beethoven wrote nine symphonies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/everybody-is-different-some-writers-can-write-reams-of-great-books/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [People are capable of great, great change during the span of one lifetime. And women even more than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/people-are-capable-of-great-great-change-during-the-span-of-one/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [But, outside of being a sweet little girl, she was awfully dumb and capable of doing horrible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/but-outside-of-being-a-sweet-little-girl-she-was-awfully-dumb-and/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I was terrible student. I was capable, but I never like being told what to do, so I was always in the bottom class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lilley/i-was-terrible-student-i-was-capable-but-i-never-like-being-told-what/) [Chris Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lilley/) > [Not everyone is capable of madness; and of those lucky enough to be capable, not many have the courage for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/not-everyone-is-capable-of-madness-and-of-those-lucky-enough-to-be/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [ \[The Community's\] crosses and trials give me confidence. But I derive my hope above all, and most especially, from our utter incapacity, for it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-guerin/the-community-s-crosses-and-trials-give-me-confidence-but-i-derive-my/) [Theodore Guerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-guerin/) > [The mathematical facts worthy of being studied are those which, by their analogy with other facts, are capable of leading us to the knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/the-mathematical-facts-worthy-of-being-studied-are-those-which-by/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [“If you not yet try How to know you can or not?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sopharat/if-you-not-yet-try-how-to-know-you-can-or-not/) [Sopharat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sopharat/) > [I'm attracted to the garden, without a doubt, but I always try and image the wolf that's there, too. And that wolf would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-light/i-m-attracted-to-the-garden-without-a-doubt-but-i-always-try-and/) [Michael Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-light/) > [A man, as a man, could arrive at all the dignity that a man was capable of obtaining or receiving; but it needed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor/a-man-as-a-man-could-arrive-at-all-the-dignity-that-a-man-was-capable/) [John Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor/) > [Playing is much, much harder than composing in my opinion, becoming a player. If you want to be a player for all your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/playing-is-much-much-harder-than-composing-in-my-opinion-becoming-a/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [How difficult the task to quench the fire and the pride of private ambition, and to sacrifice ourselves and all our hopes and expectations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-adams/how-difficult-the-task-to-quench-the-fire-and-the-pride-of-private/) [Abigail Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-adams/) [Browse all 3,861 Capable quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capable/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A third reason why we should love our enemies is that love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. We never get rid of an enemy by meeting hate with hate; we get rid of an enemy by getting rid of enmity. By its very nature, hate destroys and tears down; by its very nature, love creates and builds up. Love transforms with redemptive power.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Martin Luther King, Jr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/a-third-reason-why-we-should-love-our-enemies-is-that-love-is-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Capable" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/a-third-reason-why-we-should-love-our-enemies-is-that-love-is-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/328/martin-luther-king-jr-127_capable_a-third-reason-why-we-should-love-our-en_3030640.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/328/martin-luther-king-jr-127_capable_a-third-reason-why-we-should-love-our-en_3030640.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/328/martin-luther-king-jr-127_capable_a-third-reason-why-we-should-love-our-en_3030640.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A third reason why we should love our enemies is that love is the only force capable of transforming an…” — Martin Luther King, Jr", "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": "Martin Luther King, Jr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A third reason why we should...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/a-third-reason-why-we-should-love-our-enemies-is-that-love-is-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/a-third-reason-why-we-should-love-our-enemies-is-that-love-is-the/#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 } } ] } ```