“Lincoln was criticized for his attitude toward his enemies. An associate asked, 'Why do you try to make friends of them? You should try to destroy them.' Lincoln replied, 'Am I not destroying my enemies when I make them my friends?'”
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About this quote
The line forces a hard reassessment of power and strategy. It argues strength lies in turning opposition into cooperation, not in crushing people. Use it as a call to act: take responsibility for conflicts, choose bridge-building over scorekeeping, and neutralize future friction through real reconciliation.
When to use it
- At work, stop trying to win every argument. Offer a real solution and turn a critic into a collaborator.
- When a customer complains, listen, fix the issue, and win loyalty instead of escalating the fight.
- As a leader, reconcile with a rival and turn them into an ally who helps solve problems rather than create them.
- With family, stop keeping score. Make the first move toward peace and you remove the fuel for future conflict.