“Never offend an enemy in a small way.”

— Gore Vidal, book Julian

Source: Julian

Last update June 3, 2021. History

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Gore Vidal163

American writer 1925–2012

Frank Crane (1861–1928) American Presbyterian minister

Four Minute Essays Vol. 7 (1919), A School for Living

“We have this culture of men, especially, watching pornography, but then [they are] offended by a classic nude portrait or photograph, and I've never felt that way.”

Emily Ratajkowski (1991) American model and actress

“All of them, all except Phineas, constructed at infinite cost to themselves these Maginot Lines against this enemy they thought they saw across the frontier, this enemy who never attacked that way-if he ever attacked at all; if he was indeed the enemy.”

John Knowles book A Separate Peace

Gene, on the enemy.
Source: A Separate Peace (1959), P. 196

“Never concede to evil…. When we concede to evil, even in a small way, we feed it, and it grows stronger.”

David Farland book The Courtship of Princess Leia

Source: The Courtship of Princess Leia

“Old friends become bitter enemies on a sudden for toys and small offenses.”

Robert Burton book The Anatomy of Melancholy

The Anatomy of Melancholy (1621), Democritus Junior to the Reader

“I never fail to toss a stone on the pile, Hannes. In my own way it is a small offering to those lonesome gods.”

Louis L'Amour (1908–1988) Novelist, short story writer

Source: The Lonesome Gods (1983), Ch. 8
Context: Sometimes, when crossing a pass in the mountains, one will see a pile of loose stones, even several piles. Foolish people have dug into them, thinking treasure is buried there. It is a stupid idea, to think a treasure would be marked so obviously.
It is an old custom of these people to pick up a stone and toss it on the pile. Perhaps it is a symbolical lightening of the load they carry, perhaps a small offering to the gods of the trails. I never fail to toss a stone on the pile, Hannes. In my own way it is a small offering to those lonesome gods.
A man once told me they do the same thing in Tibet, and some of our ancient people may have come from there, or near there. Regardless of that, I like to think those ancient gods are out there waiting, and that they are, because of my offerings, a little less lonely.