African Proverb Quotes

Be careful of your enemy once and of your friend a thousand times, for a double crossing friend knows more about what harms you.

Nothing is as dangerous as an ignorant friend; a wise enemy is to be preferred.

Be on guard against your friends.

Treat your friends as if they were going to be your enemies one day.

Trust not a new friend or an old enemy.

No better friend, no worse enemy

…one enemy can do more hurt, than ten friends can do good.

An open foe may prove a curse, but a pretended friend is worse.

I had rather be plundered by my enemies than by my friends.

I am not afraid of my enemies, but by God, you must look out when you get among your friends.

A traitor is a betrayer - one who practices injury, while professing friendship. Benedict Arnold was a traitor, solely because, while professing friendship for the American cause, he attempted to injure it. An open enemy, however criminal in other respects, is no traitor.

The greatest virtue in a prince is to know his friends.

The silence of a treacherous man is to be feared even more than his words.

I have gold for my friends, and iron for my enemies

I would rather betray others, than have others betray me

It takes a very wise man to act the fool.

The treachery of a friend is worse than that of a foe.

To have a traitor for an ally is to have an enemy in waiting

He that openly tells, his friends all that he thinks of them, must expect that they will secretly tell his enemies much that they do not think of him.

Reveal not every secret you have to a friend, for how can you tell but that friend may hereafter become and enemy. And bring not all mischief you are able to upon an enemy, for he may one day become your friend.

It is difficult to say who do you the most mischief, enemies with the worst intentions, or friends with the best.

Better to have a known enemy than a forced ally.

Bad faith likes discourse on friendship and loyalty.

Tricks and treachery are the practice of fools, that don't have brains enough to be honest.