“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”

—  Victor Hugo , book Things Seen

The quote "You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life." is famous quote by Victor Hugo (1802–1885), French poet, novelist, and dramatist.

Often attributed to Churchill, this thought was originally expressed by the French author Victor Hugo in Villemain (1845), as follows: You have enemies? Why, it is the story of every man who has done a great deed or created a new idea. It is the cloud which thunders around everything that shines. Fame must have enemies, as light must have gnats. Do not bother yourself about it; disdain. Keep your mind serene as you keep your life clear.
Villemain is a brief segment taken from Hugo’s Choses Vues (Things Seen), a running journal Hugo kept of events he witnessed. The original French versions of these journals were published after Hugo's death.
Misattributed

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Dec. 31, 2023. History

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Victor Hugo photo
Victor Hugo 308
French poet, novelist, and dramatist 1802–1885

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Often attributed to Churchill, this thought was originally expressed by the French author Victor Hugo in Villemain (1845), as follows: You have enemies? Why, it is the story of every man who has done a great deed or created a new idea. It is the cloud which thunders around everything that shines. Fame must have enemies, as light must have gnats. Do not bother yourself about it; disdain. Keep your mind serene as you keep your life clear.
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Misattributed

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