---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd rather have an enemy, who slaps me in…"
description: "\"I'd rather have an enemy, who slaps me in the face, than a friend who stabs you in the back.\" — Simpleman"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f7/simpleman-8177_enemy_i-d-rather-have-an-enemy-who-slaps-me-in_2567065.jpg"
---

#  I'd rather have an enemy, who slaps me in the face, than a…

![“I'd rather have an enemy, who slaps me in the face, than a friend who stabs you in the back.” quote by Simpleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f7/simpleman-8177_enemy_i-d-rather-have-an-enemy-who-slaps-me-in_2567065.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f7/simpleman-8177_enemy_i-d-rather-have-an-enemy-who-slaps-me-in_2567065.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f7/simpleman-8177_enemy_i-d-rather-have-an-enemy-who-slaps-me-in_2567065.jpg)

> “I'd rather have an enemy, who slaps me in the face, than a friend who stabs you in the back.”

Simpleman

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Prefers overt conflict over hidden betrayal, valuing honesty even if painful.

**In simple terms:** Honest conflict is better than deceitful friendship.

Key Takeaway

Choose transparency over covert harm.

Themes

trust honesty conflict

Mood

cautious reflective

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- workplace dynamics
- political alliances

Key Concepts

integrity psychology relationships

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you trust those who are openly critical?
- How do you handle hidden betrayals?

A Different Perspective

Open conflict can still cause lasting damage.

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[Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/)

## Related quotes

> [Better to have an enemy who slaps you in the face than a friend who stabs you in the back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/better-to-have-an-enemy-who-slaps-you-in-the-face-than-a-friend-who/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'd rather have an enemy that slaps me in the face than a friend that stabs me in the back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-d-rather-have-an-enemy-that-slaps-me-in-the-face-than-a-friend-that/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'd rather have an enemy who slaps me in the face than a friend who stabs me in the back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-d-rather-have-an-enemy-who-slaps-me-in-the-face-than-a-friend-who/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It better to have an enemy that slaps you in the face than a friend that slabs u at the back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-better-to-have-an-enemy-that-slaps-you-in-the-face-than-a-friend/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'd rather have an bitch-ass enemy who slaps me in the face than a friend who stabs me in the back. TRUU](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-d-rather-have-an-bitch-ass-enemy-who-slaps-me-in-the-face-than-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Id rather have an emeny that slaps me hard in the face than a friend who stabs me in the back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/id-rather-have-an-emeny-that-slaps-me-hard-in-the-face-than-a-friend/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A stranger stabs you I front, A friend stabs you in the back; A boyfriend stabs you in the heart, but best friends only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lifemeans-lyka/a-stranger-stabs-you-i-front-a-friend-stabs-you-in-the-back-a/)

LifeMeans\_LykA

> [A friend stabs you in the back; a boyfriend stabs you in the heart, but a best friend is the one who pulls out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-friend-stabs-you-in-the-back-a-boyfriend-stabs-you-in-the-heart-but/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Dont you just love it when your best friend stabs you in the back no it suckz people are so full of themselves and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coreycatcher/dont-you-just-love-it-when-your-best-friend-stabs-you-in-the-back-no/)

Coreycatcher

> [A friend is someone who accepts you just the way you are even if your kinda messed up &amp; or not all together but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taj-t-nunez/a-friend-is-someone-who-accepts-you-just-the-way-you-are-even-if-your/)

Taj T Nunez

> [A true friend stabs you in the front.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-true-friend-stabs-you-in-the-front/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [He is a fine friend. He stabs you in the front.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-louis-levinson/he-is-a-fine-friend-he-stabs-you-in-the-front/)

Leonard Louis Levinson

> [Some people say a true friend stabs you in the front. Im gonna go ahead and say a true friend just puts the knife…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-cole/some-people-say-a-true-friend-stabs-you-in-the-front-im-gonna-go/)

[Kendrick Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-cole/)

> [A boyfriend stabs you in the heart, a stranger stabs you in the front, a friend stabs you in the back, but best friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-boyfriend-stabs-you-in-the-heart-a-stranger-stabs-you-in-the-front/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Stranger stabs u in the front. Friend stabs u in the back. Boyfriend stabs u in the heart. Best friends only poke each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-ramkran/stranger-stabs-u-in-the-front-friend-stabs-u-in-the-back-boyfriend/)

[Christine Ramkran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-ramkran/)

## More by Simpleman

> [An honest enemy is always better than a friend who lies, pay less attention to other peoples problem and focus on number one. other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simpleman/an-honest-enemy-is-always-better-than-a-friend-who-lies-pay-less/)

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> [Travis C. Holly (Arnold), 30 former Deming resident, died in Silver City on Jan. 26, 2001. Born Jul 6, 1970 in Payson, AZ., to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simpleman/travis-c-holly-arnold-30-former-deming-resident-died-in-silver-city/)

Simpleman

> [Falling in love with you is like finding out what the universe has to offer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simpleman/falling-in-love-with-you-is-like-finding-out-what-the-universe-has-to/)

Simpleman

> [Expect the unexpected, because Life is full of surprise. Thing's that you can't explain and prevent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simpleman/expect-the-unexpected-because-life-is-full-of-surprise-thing-s-that/)

Simpleman

> [Make me happy and ill make you happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simpleman/make-me-happy-and-ill-make-you-happy/)

Simpleman

> [You've GOT TO TAKE THE GOOD WITH THE BAD, Smile with the Sad, Love what you Got, An remember what you had. Learn from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simpleman/you-ve-got-to-take-the-good-with-the-bad-smile-with-the-sad-love-what/)

Simpleman

> [True mature love is to learn to love someone with his or her disadvantages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simpleman/true-mature-love-is-to-learn-to-love-someone-with-his-or-her/)

Simpleman

> [Addiction is a powerful disease that is and sly and crafty It's so sad, When it claims another don't be ashamed to ask for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simpleman/addiction-is-a-powerful-disease-that-is-and-sly-and-crafty-it-s-so/)

Simpleman

> [Laughter is timeless imagination hasn't age and are dreams are forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simpleman/laughter-is-timeless-imagination-hasn-t-age-and-are-dreams-are-forever/)

Simpleman

> [Life is harder when you complicate the simple thing's. Enjoy life for what it is and not for what it isn't. you have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simpleman/life-is-harder-when-you-complicate-the-simple-thing-s-enjoy-life-for/)

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> [You can close you're eyes to tough you don't want to see. But you can't close you're heart to, the things you don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simpleman/you-can-close-you-re-eyes-to-tough-you-don-t-want-to-see-but-you-can/)

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> [I'm jealous of my parent's, Cause they have an amazing kid like me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simpleman/i-m-jealous-of-my-parent-s-cause-they-have-an-amazing-kid-like-me/)

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> [It's better to have a short life full of what you like to, than a long Life spent in a miserable way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simpleman/it-s-better-to-have-a-short-life-full-of-what-you-like-to-than-a-long/)

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> [Love has it way's of showing you, When it's worth it or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simpleman/love-has-it-way-s-of-showing-you-when-it-s-worth-it-or-not/)

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> [This is what happeneds when you're good in bed. that is my back after I got done with my girlfriend. :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simpleman/this-is-what-happeneds-when-you-re-good-in-bed-that-is-my-back-after/)

Simpleman

Explore all 82 Simpleman quotes

## More Enemy quotes

> [Shall there be truth between us, as two men? Not as friends, but as enemies and equals?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/shall-there-be-truth-between-us-as-two-men-not-as-friends-but-as/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/)

[Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/)

> [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/)

[Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/)

> [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/)

[Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/)

> [Fear is a man's worst enemy, but love is a man's most powerful weapon against anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fear-is-a-man-s-worst-enemy-but-love-is-a-man-s-most-powerful-weapon/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... 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

> [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. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/)

[Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/)

> [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power &amp; movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [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/)

> [The invention of gunpowder and the constant improvement of firearms are enough in themselves to show that the advance of civilization has done nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-invention-of-gunpowder-and-the-constant-improvement-of-firearms/)

[Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/)

> [Perfection is the enemy of greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/perfection-is-the-enemy-of-greatness/)

[Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/)

> [In this business, you find the enemy, then go after and destroy him. Everything else is rubbish!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-rickenbacker/in-this-business-you-find-the-enemy-then-go-after-and-destroy-him/)

[Eddie Rickenbacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-rickenbacker/)

> [“Enemies Teach. 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/)

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