--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you are without friends, the next…" description: "\"“When you are without friends, the next best thing is an enemy who knows you well.”\" — Midnight Blue" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a22/midnight-blue-94450_enemies_when-you-are-without-friends-the-next-be_590997.jpg" --- # When you are without friends, the next best thing is an… ![“When you are without friends, the next best thing is an enemy who knows you well.” quote by Midnight Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a22/midnight-blue-94450_enemies_when-you-are-without-friends-the-next-be_590997.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a22/midnight-blue-94450_enemies_when-you-are-without-friends-the-next-be_590997.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a22/midnight-blue-94450_enemies_when-you-are-without-friends-the-next-be_590997.jpg) > ““When you are without friends, the next best thing is an enemy who knows you well.”” Midnight Blue ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Without friends, an insightful enemy can serve as a valuable confidante. **In simple terms:** An enemy who knows you well can be a useful ally. Key Takeaway Value insight from unexpected sources. Themes friendship enemies insight trust relationships Mood thoughtful cautious Type Enemies:1 Enemy:1 Friend:1 Friends:1 Friendship:1 Frienship:0 Without friends:1 Friends Best:0 Enemy Knows:0 Thing Enemy:0 When to use this quote - conflict resolution - personal growth - team building Key Concepts psychology social dynamics strategic alliances Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate friend from foe? - When can an enemy become an ally? A Different Perspective May romanticize unhealthy relationships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemies/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) ## Related quotes > [Flee an enemy who knows your weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-corneille/flee-an-enemy-who-knows-your-weakness/) [Pierre Corneille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-corneille/) > [The ally we must cultivate is the part of our enemy which knows the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-ally-we-must-cultivate-is-the-part-of-our-enemy-which-knows-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [We must always seek to ally ourselves with that part of the enemy that knows what is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/we-must-always-seek-to-ally-ourselves-with-that-part-of-the-enemy/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [If an enemy knows that the TRUTH will cause them to lose against you they'll fight you with LIES instead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/if-an-enemy-knows-that-the-truth-will-cause-them-to-lose-against-you/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [“The new is unfamiliar. It may be the friend, it may be the enemy, who knows? There is no way to know! The only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/the-new-is-unfamiliar-it-may-be-the-friend-it-may-be-the-enemy-who/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [One of the things we excel at over the years is that the enemy never knows what surprises we are preparing for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoav-gallant/one-of-the-things-we-excel-at-over-the-years-is-that-the-enemy-never/) [Yoav Gallant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoav-gallant/) > [You know... life can be like a big game of Battleship. The enemy knows where your ships are and is trying to call the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/you-know-life-can-be-like-a-big-game-of-battleship-the-enemy-knows/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [Unless you are addressing the issues people are concerned about and contributing positive direction, they'll never support you. The first thing the enemy tries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/unless-you-are-addressing-the-issues-people-are-concerned-about-and/) [Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/) > [“What a spineless thing I must be not to have even one enemy!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-montgomery/what-a-spineless-thing-i-must-be-not-to-have-even-one-enemy/) [L.M. Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-montgomery/) > [“The last thing the enemy wants to see is Jesus and His tribe of twenty-first-century, Internet-savvy followers gaining ground online. So he turns up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-birdsong/the-last-thing-the-enemy-wants-to-see-is-jesus-and-his-tribe-of/) Toni Birdsong > [The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-best-thing-to-give-to-your-enemy-is-forgiveness-to-an-opponent/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Sometimes perfecting the one thing can be the enemy of getting any traction on anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-roach/sometimes-perfecting-the-one-thing-can-be-the-enemy-of-getting-any/) [Jay Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-roach/) > [The best thing to give 2 your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart 2 ur child, a gud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ladygaga/the-best-thing-to-give-2-your-enemy-is-forgiveness-to-an-opponent/) [Ladygaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ladygaga/) > [What a spineless thing I must be not to have one enemy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-maud-montgomery/what-a-spineless-thing-i-must-be-not-to-have-one-enemy/) [Lucy Maud Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-maud-montgomery/) > [“If you can’t have another ally,” I said at last, “next best thing is to give your enemy another enemy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-jacka/if-you-can-t-have-another-ally-i-said-at-last-next-best-thing-is-to/) [Benedict Jacka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-jacka/) ## More by Midnight Blue > [“There are only two things that determine whether you're old enough to do something -- whether you understand what the hell you're getting yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midnight-blue/there-are-only-two-things-that-determine-whether-you-re-old-enough-to/) Midnight Blue Explore all 2 Midnight Blue quotes ## 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": "“When you are without friends, the next best thing is an enemy who knows you well.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Midnight Blue" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midnight-blue/when-you-are-without-friends-the-next-best-thing-is-an-enemy-who/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enemies" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midnight-blue/when-you-are-without-friends-the-next-best-thing-is-an-enemy-who/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a22/midnight-blue-94450_enemies_when-you-are-without-friends-the-next-be_590997.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a22/midnight-blue-94450_enemies_when-you-are-without-friends-the-next-be_590997.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a22/midnight-blue-94450_enemies_when-you-are-without-friends-the-next-be_590997.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you are without friends, the next best thing is an enemy who knows you well.” — Midnight Blue", "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": "Midnight Blue", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/midnight-blue/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“When you are without friends, the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midnight-blue/when-you-are-without-friends-the-next-best-thing-is-an-enemy-who/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midnight-blue/when-you-are-without-friends-the-next-best-thing-is-an-enemy-who/#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 } } ] } ```