I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me.

The line frames disagreement as a primary engine of intellectual growth. Malone’s point is not that agreement is worthless, but that it rarely forces a person to re-examine assumptions, refine arguments, or confront blind spots. By contrast, an opponent—whether in politics, law, or conversation—compels clarification: you must supply reasons, evidence, and distinctions you might otherwise leave untested. The quote also implies a discipline of humility: if learning depends on encountering dissent, then seeking only like-minded company is a form of self-imposed ignorance. In a democratic culture, it doubles as a defense of pluralism and open debate as conditions for genuine understanding.