“keep your friends close, but your enemies closer” is a classic line from

Sometimes you may have heard the phrase “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. is one of those phrases we hear all the time and most people who say it just want to appear wiser than they really are.

Today, I want to explore where it comes from, whether or not it’s good advice, and how you can apply it to your life.

“keep your friends close and your enemies closer” meaning

“keep your friends close and your enemies closer” means that while having close friendships is essential, keeping track of your enemies is even more critical as it allows you to defend yourself should they attack you .

origin “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” is originally from one of the most famous books in the entire “art of war”.

“The Art of War” was written by a man named Sun Zhu, possibly one of the most famous Eastern philosophers of all time. His teachings have shaped many Eastern religions and schools of thought.

When most of us think of early philosophers, we might think of Plato and Aristotle, but in Asia, they were just as concerned with thinking about how the world works and the nature of being. To this day, “The Art of War” remains one of the most respected philosophical books.

on “the art of war”

To fully understand what “keeping your friends close and your enemies closer” is, it will help us get a general idea of ​​what “the art of war” is all about.

Unlike most other philosophical books, “The Art of War” was written as a book about war. is a guide on how to win a war effectively and defeat your enemy. Inside the book, you’ll find tips on preparing for war, when to fight, and how to fight.

simply charging somewhere and taking control is never an effective strategy. making war is an art.

non-war uses to “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”

I’m going to assume that most of you reading this have no intention of starting a war. unless this blog is more popular with politicians than I thought?

however, even if you never pick up a gun, the lesson on “the art of war” can be applied to various aspects of our lives.

Within our social life, there will always be people we don’t like. if you have a business, there will be other businesses that will be competition for you. And of course, in politics, you’re always trying to win against someone else.

paraphrasing “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”

another philosopher who paraphrased sun zhu is “niccolo machavelli”. You probably know him best as the man behind the adjective “Machiavellian”.

He once said, “it is easier for the prince to befriend those men who were content under the former government, and therefore his enemies, than those who, being dissatisfied with him, were favorable to him.” and they encouraged him to seize it.”

machiavelli and sun zhu lived thousands of years apart, and it is unlikely that the latter ever read the works of the former. but they say that “great minds think alike.”

“keep your friends close and your enemies closer” in the godfather

a movie that uses the phrase “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” is the godfather. one of the most famous movies of all time.

the godfather has to do with the mafia. As you can imagine, being in the mafia is a dangerous lifestyle where you will need to know what you are doing in order to survive. the mafia is constantly at “war” with someone, be it smaller gangs, corporations, or governments.

Understanding the rules of war is essential in that line of work. this would explain why a character says the famous line, “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”, within a cutscene.

examples of “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” in sentences

“”My father taught me many things here, he taught me in this room. he taught me: keep your friends close but your enemies closer.”

“Is the enemy of my enemy my friend or my enemy? keeping your friends close but your enemies closer is a concept that has been around for a long time; however, the explanation for this rule continues to elude some people.”

“since this expression is so “old school”, it is more likely that you have heard this from your parents, aunts, uncles or grandparents. the expression says, “keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

“Keep your friends close, your enemies closer, and your worries even closer. Practice playing the scale shown in Figure 7-2 up and down the neck, using alternate picking.”

“you humanoids have a saying: “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. that’s one that says the humanoids are right. write it, maggamuffin, in bold and all caps: keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

“That saying “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” is totally wrong. you need to know who your enemies are and stay away from them because they are your enemies, and they want to bring you down, and the devil will use…”

Is “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” good advice?

Of course, as is always the case with philosophy, you can always argue that the philosophers are wrong. How useful is the phrase “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”?

yes

As Sun Zhu would argue, if you keep an eye on your enemies, you can always know what they’re doing, so if you’re ever attacked, defending is easy.

no

On the other hand, some would say that it is better to leave enemies alone, as avoiding conflict is better than fighting.

how to “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”

If you decide this is good advice, how do you intend to keep your “enemies closer”?

Depends on what kind of enemies we’re talking about. It can be helpful to stay on top of how your competition is running your business, so you can stay one step ahead of them at all times.

In your social life, try to invite some of the people you don’t get along with very well.

And in politics, take a look at the poll data to see where people tend to agree with your competition.

conclusion

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” is an old proverb. It dates back thousands of years to the philosopher Sun Zhu. but nowadays, most people know it from the godfather.

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” just means you have to be aware of what your enemies are doing. not only will this reduce the chance of an attack, but it will also make you more prepared should one happen.

“The Art of War” was written about warfare on the battlefield. still, it was written in a way that makes it easy to apply the advice it contains, like “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” in your everyday life.