“We must know our enemy, at least a little.”

—  Greg Bear , book Hardfought

“That’s dangerous,” Prufrax said, almost instinctively.
“Yes, it is. What you know, you cannot hate.”
Source: Short fiction, Hardfought (1983), p. 63

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Greg Bear 38
American writer best known for science fiction 1951

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““We must know our enemy, at least a little.”
“That’s dangerous,” Prufrax said, almost instinctively.
“Yes, it is. What you know, you cannot hate.””

Greg Bear (1951) American writer best known for science fiction

Source: Short fiction, Hardfought (1983), p. 63

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“To make progress, we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy. We are not enemies. We are Americans.”

Joe Biden (1942) 47th Vice President of the United States (in office from 2009 to 2017)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiLR4sCgvnc
Context: But now, let’s give each other a chance.
It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric.
To lower the temperature.
To see each other again.
To listen to each other again.
To make progress, we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy.
We are not enemies. We are Americans.

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“We must be what we are, or we become our enemies.”

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Source: A Song for Arbonne

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“Third we must not seek to defeat or humiliate the enemy but to win his friendship and understanding. At times we are able to humiliate our worst enemy.”

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Context: Third we must not seek to defeat or humiliate the enemy but to win his friendship and understanding. At times we are able to humiliate our worst enemy. Inevitably, his weak moments come and we are able to thrust in his side the spear of defeat. But this we must not do. Every word and deed must contribute to an understanding with the enemy and release those vast reservoirs of goodwill which have been blocked by impenetrable walls of hate.

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“Why must there be a revolutionary party? There must be a revolutionary party because the world contains enemies who oppress the people and the people want to throw off enemy oppression. In the era of capitalism and imperialism, just such a revolutionary party as the Communist Party is needed. Without such a party it is simply impossible for the people to throw off enemy oppression. We are Communists, we want to lead the people in overthrowing the enemy, and so we must keep our ranks in good order, we must march in step, our troops must be picked troops and our weapons good weapons. Without these conditions the enemy cannot be overthrown.”

Mao Zedong (1893–1976) Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China

"Rectify the Party's Style of Work" (1942)
Original: (zh-CN) 为什么要有革命党?因为世界上有压迫人民的敌人存在,人民要推翻敌人的压迫,所以要有革命党。就资本主义和帝国主义时代说来,就需要一个如共产党这样的革命党。如果没有共产党这样的革命党,人民要想推翻敌人的压迫,简直是不可能的。我们是共产党,我们要领导人民打倒敌人,我们的队伍就要整齐,我们的步调就要一致,兵要精,武器要好。如果不具备这些条件,那末,敌人就不会被我们打倒。

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Misattributed

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“If we would despise the enemy, our thoughts must always be of God and our souls always glad with hope.”

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Book II, Chapter 10
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