The weakness of the enemy makes us strong.
The weakness of the enemy makes us strong.
Meaning in plain English
An enemy’s weakness increasing one’s strength pictures advantage as relative between opponents. The saying concerns a comparison of positions.
Example
A reader distinguishes relative advantage in a contest from the resources a participant actually possesses.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The claim does not mean another person’s difficulty automatically improves one’s actual capacities. A critical reading distinguishes a competitive relation from cooperation and refuses to treat all people as enemies. The image supplies no method to exploit, injure or dominate someone.
When to use it
Use it to examine a specified comparison without adopting hostility as a general rule.
Keep in mind
No automatic increase in ability or justification for exploiting another’s vulnerability is established.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference
Supplied reference B; unit 12; PDF page 9; collection label: Cherokee
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