It’s far easier to forgive an enemy after you’ve got even with him.

Miller’s aphorism wryly exposes how “forgiveness” can be compromised by pride and the desire for retribution. The speaker admits that forgiving an enemy feels easier once the emotional ledger has been balanced—after one has “got even.” The line critiques a common moral self-deception: we may call our later calm “forgiveness,” but it may actually be satisfaction that justice (or vengeance) has been served. By framing the thought as a punchy, folksy observation, the quote highlights the tension between genuine forgiveness—releasing resentment without conditions—and conditional forgiveness that depends on retaliation or vindication.