--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you have no enemies, you have no…" description: "\"If you have no enemies, you have no character.\" — Paul Newman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8e/paul-newman-2526_character_if-you-have-no-enemies-you-have-no-chara_1027464.png" --- # If you have no enemies, you have no character. ![“If you have no enemies, you have no character.” quote by Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8e/paul-newman-2526_character_if-you-have-no-enemies-you-have-no-chara_1027464.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8e/paul-newman-2526_character_if-you-have-no-enemies-you-have-no-chara_1027464.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8e/paul-newman-2526_character_if-you-have-no-enemies-you-have-no-chara_1027464.png) > “If you have no enemies, you have no character.” [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lack of enemies may indicate a lack of strong convictions or character. **In simple terms:** No enemies can mean weak character. Key Takeaway Cultivate convictions even if they attract opposition. Themes character conflict integrity Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - political activism - artistic expression - leadership Key Concepts moral philosophy personal values Questions to Reflect On - Do you avoid conflict at all costs? - What values are worth defending? A Different Perspective Being confrontational can damage relationships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemies/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) ## Related quotes > [“when u have no enemies ,you are characterless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/when-u-have-no-enemies-you-are-characterless/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [I do not believe in loving enemies; I have pretty hard work to love my friends. Neither do I believe in revenge. No man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/i-do-not-believe-in-loving-enemies-i-have-pretty-hard-work-to-love-my/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Greetings and death to our enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-aykroyd/greetings-and-death-to-our-enemies/) [Dan Aykroyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-aykroyd/) > [It is curious how often one prefers his enemies to his friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/it-is-curious-how-often-one-prefers-his-enemies-to-his-friends/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [The next time that we meet we meet as enemies!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-ewing/the-next-time-that-we-meet-we-meet-as-enemies/) [Lynne Ewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-ewing/) > [The fact that you get out of bed ever morning even though you feel like giving up shows how strong you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/the-fact-that-you-get-out-of-bed-ever-morning-even-though-you-feel/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [Our enemies are innovative and resourceful...They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush-2/our-enemies-are-innovative-and-resourceful-they-never-stop-thinking/) [George W Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush-2/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“Enemies Teach. Friends Preach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tapan-ghosh/enemies-teach-friends-preach/) [Tapan Ghosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tapan-ghosh/) > [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/) > [“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 ## More by Paul Newman > [George Roy Hill, Redford, and I have been looking for a script to do together for 13 years. We haven't been able to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/george-roy-hill-redford-and-i-have-been-looking-for-a-script-to-do/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [An actor has to evaluate his own abilities and be honest with himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/an-actor-has-to-evaluate-his-own-abilities-and-be-honest-with-himself/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [When the idea came up, (Newman's Own) I said, "Are you crazy? Stick my face on the label of salad dressing?" And then, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/when-the-idea-came-up-newman-s-own-i-said-are-you-crazy-stick-my-face/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [When you see the right thing to do, you'd better do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/when-you-see-the-right-thing-to-do-you-d-better-do-it/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [In racing, the fastest person wins. It is very simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/in-racing-the-fastest-person-wins-it-is-very-simple/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [I never ask my wife about my flaws. Instead I try to get her to ignore them and concentrate on my sense of humor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/i-never-ask-my-wife-about-my-flaws-instead-i-try-to-get-her-to-ignore/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [I would like it if people would think that beyond Newman, there's a spirit that takes action, a heart, and a talent that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/i-would-like-it-if-people-would-think-that-beyond-newman-there-s-a/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [What we got here is a failure to communicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/what-we-got-here-is-a-failure-to-communicate/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [Newman's first law: It is useless to put on your brakes when you're upside down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/newman-s-first-law-it-is-useless-to-put-on-your-brakes-when-you-re/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [A feud should live a full and colorful life, and then it should die a natural death and be forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/a-feud-should-live-a-full-and-colorful-life-and-then-it-should-die-a/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [People like to do what they used to do after they've stopped being able to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/people-like-to-do-what-they-used-to-do-after-they-ve-stopped-being/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [We've polluted the stratosphere with these chlorine and bromine compounds, and because it's now colder, and because we have this change in the climate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/we-ve-polluted-the-stratosphere-with-these-chlorine-and-bromine/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [I am convinced that a person is entitled to as much privacy as he wants. 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Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. 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But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you have no enemies, you have no character.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Newman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/if-you-have-no-enemies-you-have-no-character/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/if-you-have-no-enemies-you-have-no-character/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8e/paul-newman-2526_character_if-you-have-no-enemies-you-have-no-chara_1027464.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8e/paul-newman-2526_character_if-you-have-no-enemies-you-have-no-chara_1027464.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8e/paul-newman-2526_character_if-you-have-no-enemies-you-have-no-chara_1027464.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you have no enemies, you have no character.” — Paul Newman", "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": "Paul Newman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you have no enemies, you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/if-you-have-no-enemies-you-have-no-character/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/if-you-have-no-enemies-you-have-no-character/#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 } } ] } ```