It Takes Friends and Enemies Working Together

Discussion in 'The Cocktail Lounge' started by Rainman, Jul 5, 2015.

  1. Rainman

    Rainman Senior Investor

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    I stumbled into this Mark Twain quote:
    How true! What you don't know can't hurt you. Lots of people say bad things about us all the time behind our backs but because we don't hear what they said, their words can't hurt us. However should someone who claims to be your friend hear an enemy slander you and brings you the news then it would be as if your enemy personally delivered the attack. In such a case the "emissary" is as bad as the enemy.

    What do you think? To protect their friends feelings should people keep what they've heard secret? Would that friend understand that you did them a favor if they know you heard something but didn't tell them?
     
  2. missbishi

    missbishi Well-Known Member

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    I'd be inclined to keep quiet myself. There is nothing to be gained by telling my friend that "Sarah said you were a fat munter" so why cause any upset? All it's going to cause is problems and I certainly wouldn't want to know if someone said that about me.

    I'm not sure what I'd do if I discovered that someone's partner was cheating though - that's a whole different ballgame. I am not sure I could keep quiet but at the same time, I'd be worried about being branded a liar.
     
  3. Corzhens

    Corzhens Senior Investor

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    I'm sorry if my reply is not direct to the point. What gets in my mind are those friends who were taking advantage of me. Those friends who I thought were friends but turned out to be only fair wheater friends. There are lots of them around. From what I understand, most are borne of envy. Maybe they are not happy in seeming me with a good life so they backstab me. I haven't met people like that during my school days. Indeed, as you grow older, the people around you change... some for the better and some for the worse.
     
  4. dianethare

    dianethare Senior Investor

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    Its like Mark Twain knew how my life would spin out when he said that...I've been there numerous times, to the point I had to really thin out the herd(friends and foes alike)...I guess being like Robinson Crusoe {one man on an island...can work at times} because people can be a real pain...no matter how much you continuously try extending an olive branch.
     
  5. AtlantaSports

    AtlantaSports Senior Investor

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    I think that people should really just keep stuff to themselves. It really is not all that difficult.
     
  6. Rainman

    Rainman Senior Investor

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    But you can't help interacting with people though. Keep them all [friend and enemies] at arms length and you'll worry less about anyone hurting your feelings. Pretty hard it is to do that since unless someone deserves to be ignored you can't just ignore him/her. Pets do make better friends than humans I think. When you no longer want lots of people in your life, get a pet and you'll be fine.
     
  7. dianethare

    dianethare Senior Investor

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    You are absolutely right about that...one can't help interacting with humans...of late though, I've been learning some steps to ghosting...just to keep myself a bit far from 'drama flames'...I agree...interacting with people will happen whether I want or not but I also need to be careful what I'm interacting about or else I might find myself at the sharp pointed-end of the blade :rolleyes:
     
  8. pwarbi

    pwarbi Senior Investor

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    People tend to talk too much these days and tell everybody everything. Some things are best kept to yourself, not because it's something you you hide, just because you don't know who you can trust these days. Sometimes your friend and your enemy can be the same person.
     
  9. dianethare

    dianethare Senior Investor

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    We have a saying in our country..."he who messes you up is the person closest to you!"...think about it, because in my case its happened so many times but I count it a blessing because through all that, I've learnt my lessons :)
     
  10. Rosyrain

    Rosyrain Senior Investor

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    Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That is a saying to live by. I am not one to spread gossip and tell people what othera say about them unless that thing might hurt the other person if I dont say anything.
     

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