Friends and Lovers

"False friends are worse than bitter enemies."

This quote speaks to the fact that it is almost easier to deal with someone who you know from the start is not on your side than someone who you thought was a friend but is really not.

"Always forgive your enemies -- nothing annoys them so much."

I adore this quote because it really sums up the best way to deal with a frenemy. You can confront them if you wish, but afterward you just have to move on. Rather than drive yourself crazy trying to figure out why someone who claimed to be your friend is trying to hurt you, you'd be better off just focusing your time on the real friends in your life.

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded"

I like this quote because it helps put the "betrayal of false friends" in perspective when it comes to the whole of your life. When you recognize a false friend, you may feel a bevy of emotions ranging from hurt to shock. You might also wonder why you didn't see the way they really were sooner. ...but this quote reminds me that if you open yourself up to friends, occasionally you may be burned. It's part of life, and if it happens to you, know that you aren't alone. Emerson suggests here that dealing with a false friend is even part of being a "success" in life. In other words, put it in perspective and move on. There are too many good people in the world to waste spending energy on the ones who aren't.