Quote

Men of sense often learn from their enemies. It is from their foes, not their friends, that cities learn the lesson of building high walls and ships of war.

— Aristophanes

Sentiment: POSITIVE

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✓Similar Perspectives

The wise learn many things from their enemies.

— Aristophanes

The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends.

— Friedrich Nietzsche

As a matter of self-preservation, a man needs good friends or ardent enemies, for the former instruct him and the latter take him to task.

— Diogenes

A man may learn wisdom even from a foe.

— Aristophanes

Not houses finely roofed or the stones of walls well builded, nay nor canals and dockyards make the city, but men able to use their opportunity.

— Alcaeus

Cities are the crucible of civilization.

— Geoffrey West

Men need knowledge in order to overpower their passions and master their prejudices.

— Dorothea Dix

Under the influence of fear, which always leads men to take a pessimistic view of things, they magnified their enemies' resources, and minimized their own.

— Livy

✗Opposing Perspectives

From their experience or from the recorded experience of others (history), men learn only what their passions and their metaphysical prejudices allow them to learn.

— Aldous Huxley

Good sense travels on the well-worn paths; genius, never. And that is why the crowd, not altogether without reason, is so ready to treat great men as lunatics.

— Cesare Lombroso