The Appraising of Enemies
The work explores the nature of enmity and the strategies for dealing with adversaries. It emphasizes the importance of avoiding enmity, even in jest, and highlights the dangers of provoking those skilled in verbal conflict. The text illustrates the folly of a ruler who challenges many foes without allies, contrasting this with the wisdom of a ruler who can turn enemies into friends, ensuring lasting power. It advises against engaging in conflict without support, suggesting that one should seek to win over at least one adversary when facing multiple opponents. The work cautions against making hasty decisions regarding friendships or enmities, particularly in moments of vulnerability, advocating for patience and discretion. The text underscores the importance of keeping one's troubles and weaknesses hidden from enemies, promoting the idea of strategic planning and resource consolidation. By doing so, one can effectively diminish the pride of adversaries. It also uses the metaphor of young thorn-trees to illustrate the necessity of addressing problems early before they become unmanageable. Overall, the work serves as a guide on navigating relationships with enemies, emphasizing wisdom, strategy, and the importance of maintaining strength and composure in the face of opposition.
By Thiruvalluvar · First published 2004 · Genre: Philosophy, Self-help, Political · 239 words
First lines
The accursed thing called enmity should never be courted willingly even though it be only in jest.
Even if thou challenge the men whose weapon is the bow, provoke not the men whose weapon is their tongue.
Behold the prince that hath no allies but challengeth to war a multitude of foes: he is more insane than even a madman.
Behold the prince that hath the tact to convert enemies into allies: his power will last without end.
What this Textopian page supports
The Appraising of Enemies is listed on Textopian as an essay by Thiruvalluvar, dated 2004 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: Thiruvalluvar
- Date: 2004 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Philosophy, Self-help, Political, Literary, Historical
- Length: 239 words
- Structure: 1 section, 10 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Appraising of Enemies by Thiruvalluvar
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
- Eschewing Of Faults by Thiruvalluvar
- Non Injuring by Thiruvalluvar
- False Friendship by Thiruvalluvar
- Renunciation by Thiruvalluvar
- The Characteristics Of Enemies by Thiruvalluvar
- Friendship by Thiruvalluvar
Genres
- Philosophy — The text explores deep moral and ethical considerations regarding enmity and relationships.
- Self-help — It provides practical advice on managing conflicts and relationships with enemies.
- Political — The work discusses strategies for leadership and power dynamics in the context of enmity.
- Literary — The writing style employs metaphor and allegory, characteristic of literary works.
Tags
Philosophy · Poetry · Tamil Literature · Ethics · Morality · Warfare · Strategy · Leadership · Courage · Honor · Loyalty · Friendship