--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The enemies of a people are those who…" description: "\"The enemies of a people are those who keep them in ignorance.\" — Thomas Sankara" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a0/thomas-sankara-16731_enemy_the-enemies-of-a-people-are-those-who-ke_918029.jpg" --- # The enemies of a people are those who keep them in… ![“The enemies of a people are those who keep them in ignorance.” quote by Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a0/thomas-sankara-16731_enemy_the-enemies-of-a-people-are-those-who-ke_918029.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a0/thomas-sankara-16731_enemy_the-enemies-of-a-people-are-those-who-ke_918029.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a0/thomas-sankara-16731_enemy_the-enemies-of-a-people-are-those-who-ke_918029.jpg) > “The enemies of a people are those who keep them in ignorance.” [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ignorance is a tool of oppression; keeping people uninformed sustains their subjugation. **In simple terms:** Ignorance oppresses people. Key Takeaway Promote education and critical thinking. Themes education freedom empowerment Mood determined hopeful Type political inspirational When to use this quote - public policy - community organizing - media literacy Key Concepts political control social justice Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance tradition with critical inquiry? - What role does media play in exposing hidden oppression? A Different Perspective Ignorance can also arise from cultural traditions, not just deliberate oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemies/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [“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 > [Your enemies are people too, and maybe they don't have to be enemies if they're that much like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-weisberg/your-enemies-are-people-too-and-maybe-they-don-t-have-to-be-enemies/) Joe Weisberg > [Barack Obama's enemies are the people who make this country work. Barack Obama's enemies are those who succeed. Those are the people whose income…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/barack-obama-s-enemies-are-the-people-who-make-this-country-work/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“Enemies! People these days don't have enemies ! Not English people!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/enemies-people-these-days-don-t-have-enemies-not-english-people/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [I have no permanent enemies - only people I have yet to persuade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lamm/i-have-no-permanent-enemies-only-people-i-have-yet-to-persuade/) [Richard Lamm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lamm/) > [The tax which will be paid for the purpose of education is not more than the thousandth part of what will be paid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-tax-which-will-be-paid-for-the-purpose-of-education-is-not-more/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Politics and church are the same. They keep the people in ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-marley/politics-and-church-are-the-same-they-keep-the-people-in-ignorance/) [Bob Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-marley/) > [ \[Enemies of Syria\] are the enemies of the people and the enemies of God. And the enemies of God will go to hell. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/enemies-of-syria-are-the-enemies-of-the-people-and-the-enemies-of-god/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [Treacherous assassins, enemies of the people, and worthy of everyone's ridicule are those who, under the pretext of guiding future generations, teach them an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-marti/treacherous-assassins-enemies-of-the-people-and-worthy-of-everyone-s/) [Jose Marti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-marti/) > [I do sometimes accuse people of ignorance, but that is not intended to be an insult. I'm ignorant of lots of things. Ignorance is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-do-sometimes-accuse-people-of-ignorance-but-that-is-not-intended-to/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“When we give our minds and our responsibility away, we give our lives away. If enough of us do it, we give the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/when-we-give-our-minds-and-our-responsibility-away-we-give-our-lives/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [We should not underestimate that: the Chinese people's ignorance. Thousands of years of despotism had been such a poison that their understanding of modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-yat-sen/we-should-not-underestimate-that-the-chinese-people-s-ignorance/) [Sun Yat-sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-yat-sen/) > [“Before you can dispel other people's ignorance, you should first dispel your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-grozni/before-you-can-dispel-other-people-s-ignorance-you-should-first/) [Nikolai Grozni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-grozni/) > [“You must not be hurt by other people's ignorance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/you-must-not-be-hurt-by-other-people-s-ignorance/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) > [“its not a good idea to argue with ignorant people but sometime ignorance can't be ignored”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adnan-safi/its-not-a-good-idea-to-argue-with-ignorant-people-but-sometime/) Adnan Safi ## More by Thomas Sankara > [It's really a pity that there are observers who view political events like comic strips. There has to be a Zorro, there has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/it-s-really-a-pity-that-there-are-observers-who-view-political-events/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [Comrades, there is no true social revolution without the liberation of women. May my eyes never see and my feet never take me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/comrades-there-is-no-true-social-revolution-without-the-liberation-of/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [A military without political training is a potential criminal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/a-military-without-political-training-is-a-potential-criminal/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [Che Guevara taught us we could dare to have confidence in ourselves, confidence in our abilities. He instilled in us the conviction that struggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/che-guevara-taught-us-we-could-dare-to-have-confidence-in-ourselves/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [The spirit is smothered, as it were, by ignorance, but so soon as ignorance is destroyed, spirit shine forth, like the sun when released…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/the-spirit-is-smothered-as-it-were-by-ignorance-but-so-soon-as/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [We must dare to invent the future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/we-must-dare-to-invent-the-future/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [When the people stand up, imperialism trembles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/when-the-people-stand-up-imperialism-trembles/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [Without patriotic political education, a soldier is only a potential criminal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/without-patriotic-political-education-a-soldier-is-only-a-potential/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [Let there be an end to the arrogance of the big powers who miss no opportunity to put the rights of the people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/let-there-be-an-end-to-the-arrogance-of-the-big-powers-who-miss-no/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [The Revolution Cannot Triumph Without the Emancipation of Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/the-revolution-cannot-triumph-without-the-emancipation-of-women/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [Never be shamed of being Afrikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/never-be-shamed-of-being-afrikan/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [We have to work at decolonizing our mentality and achieving happiness within the limits of sacrifice we should be willing to make. We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/we-have-to-work-at-decolonizing-our-mentality-and-achieving-happiness/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [Everything that man can imagine, he is capable of creating,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/everything-that-man-can-imagine-he-is-capable-of-creating/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [Imperialism is a system of exploitation that occurs not only in the brutal form of those who come with guns to conquer territory. Imperialism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/imperialism-is-a-system-of-exploitation-that-occurs-not-only-in-the/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [We make every effort to see that our actions live up to our words and be vigilant with regards to our behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/we-make-every-effort-to-see-that-our-actions-live-up-to-our-words-and/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) [Explore all 38 Thomas Sankara quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) ## 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": "The enemies of a people are those who keep them in ignorance.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Sankara" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/the-enemies-of-a-people-are-those-who-keep-them-in-ignorance/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enemies" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/the-enemies-of-a-people-are-those-who-keep-them-in-ignorance/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a0/thomas-sankara-16731_enemy_the-enemies-of-a-people-are-those-who-ke_918029.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a0/thomas-sankara-16731_enemy_the-enemies-of-a-people-are-those-who-ke_918029.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a0/thomas-sankara-16731_enemy_the-enemies-of-a-people-are-those-who-ke_918029.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The enemies of a people are those who keep them in ignorance.” — Thomas Sankara", "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": "Thomas Sankara", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The enemies of a people are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/the-enemies-of-a-people-are-those-who-keep-them-in-ignorance/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/the-enemies-of-a-people-are-those-who-keep-them-in-ignorance/#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 } } ] } ```