No Enemies?
If given a choice, who wouldn’t rather have friends than enemies?
Although having enemies is not fun, and none of us relish the idea of having to deal with an adversary, it isn’t necessarily all bad. At least, that’s what Charles Mackay believed.
Mackay (1814 – 1889) was a Scottish poet, journalist, author, anthologist, novelist, and songwriter. He warned against making decisions out of fear of earning the ire of others. He summed up his views in “No Enemies:”
You have no enemies, you say?
Alas! my friend, the boast is poor;
He who has mingled in the fray
Of duty, that the brave endure,
Must have made foes! If you have none,
Small is the work that you have done.
You’ve hit no traitor on the hip,
You’ve dashed no cup from perjured lip,
You’ve never turned the wrong to right,
You’ve been a coward in the fight.
And while we’re on the subject, you should know that the volume of the voices against you does not necessarily reflect the number. That’s a lesson U.S. Grant learned in this article.
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