--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is better to learn war early from…" description: "\"It is better to learn war early from friends, than late from enemies\" — Mary Renault" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/mary-renault-7614_enemy_it-is-better-to-learn-war-early-from-fri_2876235.jpg" --- # It is better to learn war early from friends, than late… ![“It is better to learn war early from friends, than late from enemies” quote by Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/mary-renault-7614_enemy_it-is-better-to-learn-war-early-from-fri_2876235.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/mary-renault-7614_enemy_it-is-better-to-learn-war-early-from-fri_2876235.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/mary-renault-7614_enemy_it-is-better-to-learn-war-early-from-fri_2876235.jpg) > “It is better to learn war early from friends, than late from enemies” [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Learning conflict from friends is preferable to learning from enemies. **In simple terms:** Learn war early from friends, not enemies. Key Takeaway Seek early, from allies. Themes conflict learning friendship Mood thoughtful strategic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - military training - political negotiations Key Concepts strategic insight preemptive knowledge Questions to Reflect On - Who can teach you conflict wisely? - What risks arise from learning from enemies? A Different Perspective Friends may hide true motives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Early Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early-friends-2847037/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Friends Late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends-late-737270/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Late Enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late-enemies-3961412/) [Learn War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-war-780020/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Early](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-early-904122/) ## Related quotes > [War affected my family a lot, and I was quite curious about it. I first went off to war in the early 90's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/war-affected-my-family-a-lot-and-i-was-quite-curious-about-it-i-first/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [I don't care about my legacy. It's too late. 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Yea buddy!!!!!!!;))](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/im-a-bad-bish/great-friends-and-late-nights-yea-buddy/) [Im\_a\_bad\_bish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/im-a-bad-bish/) > [“Come friends, it's not too late to seek a newer world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/come-friends-it-s-not-too-late-to-seek-a-newer-world/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [“But by the time those acquaintances became close friends, it was too late. Perhaps there was a perfect moment in between, when you were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-frankel/but-by-the-time-those-acquaintances-became-close-friends-it-was-too/) [Laurie Frankel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-frankel/) > [I try to make time for my friends, but why are my single friends always late? Like, what are they doing? 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I felt I was looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/i-looked-at-him-tipping-down-the-coarse-wine-like-a-man-who-expects/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [“For I had felt too much and reasoned too little, hearing what I was ready to hear, not what had been said. There”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/for-i-had-felt-too-much-and-reasoned-too-little-hearing-what-i-was/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [“Go in peace," I said to him; "bear no ill-will to me, for Necessity yields to no man: and do not complain of me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/go-in-peace-i-said-to-him-bear-no-ill-will-to-me-for-necessity-yields/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [There is only one kind of shock worse than the totally unexpected: the expected for which one has refused to prepare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/there-is-only-one-kind-of-shock-worse-than-the-totally-unexpected-the/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [Longing performs all things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/longing-performs-all-things/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [A man is at his youngest when he thinks he is a man, not yet realizing that his actions must show it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/a-man-is-at-his-youngest-when-he-thinks-he-is-a-man-not-yet-realizing/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [“You mustn't get so upset about what you feel, Spud. 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Joy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/hephaistion-had-known-for-many-ages-that-if-a-god-should-offer-him/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [“It is the mark of little men to like only what they know; one step beyond, and they feel the black cold of chaos.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/it-is-the-mark-of-little-men-to-like-only-what-they-know-one-step/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [“His mouth felt cold to mine ; he neither opened his eyes, nor spoke, nor moved. I said in my heart, "Too late I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/his-mouth-felt-cold-to-mine-he-neither-opened-his-eyes-nor-spoke-nor/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [“Is he weeping?" said the one with the softest heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/is-he-weeping-said-the-one-with-the-softest-heart/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [Love is a boaster at heart, who cannot hide the stolen horse without giving a glimpse of the bridle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/love-is-a-boaster-at-heart-who-cannot-hide-the-stolen-horse-without/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [At the stair-foot Hephaistion was waiting. He happened to be there, as he happened to have a ball handy if Alexander wanted a game,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/at-the-stair-foot-hephaistion-was-waiting-he-happened-to-be-there-as/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) [Explore all 89 Mary Renault quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) ## More Enemy quotes > [Shall there be truth between us, as two men? 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Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [“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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-k-hasan/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [Pain held no terror for him. 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Friends Preach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tapan-ghosh/enemies-teach-friends-preach/) [Tapan Ghosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tapan-ghosh/) [Browse all 7,981 Enemy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is better to learn war early from friends, than late from enemies", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mary Renault" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/it-is-better-to-learn-war-early-from-friends-than-late-from-enemies/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enemy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/it-is-better-to-learn-war-early-from-friends-than-late-from-enemies/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/mary-renault-7614_enemy_it-is-better-to-learn-war-early-from-fri_2876235.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/mary-renault-7614_enemy_it-is-better-to-learn-war-early-from-fri_2876235.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/mary-renault-7614_enemy_it-is-better-to-learn-war-early-from-fri_2876235.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is better to learn war early from friends, than late from enemies” — Mary Renault", "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": "Mary Renault", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is better to learn war...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/it-is-better-to-learn-war-early-from-friends-than-late-from-enemies/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/it-is-better-to-learn-war-early-from-friends-than-late-from-enemies/#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 } } ] } ```