A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.

This aphorism is commonly attributed to the Spanish Jesuit moralist Baltasar Gracián and fits the style of his concise, worldly maxims about prudence, reputation, and navigating rivalry. It is typically encountered in English as a translated sentence from his collections of maxims (especially those aimed at courtly and political life), where “enemies” are treated not only as threats but as sources of information, discipline, and self-knowledge. In that milieu, opposition could reveal one’s weaknesses, force strategic clarity, and provide a sharper test of judgment than the comfortable reinforcement offered by allies.

The aphorism contrasts two kinds of “use” one can draw from relationships. Enemies, by challenging you, exposing weaknesses, or forcing vigilance, can become inadvertent teachers; a wise person converts hostility into information, discipline, and improvement. Friends, by contrast, may offer support, but a fool wastes that benefit—through complacency, poor judgment, or inability to learn even from goodwill. The point is not to prefer enmity, but to stress agency: wisdom extracts value from any human encounter, while folly squanders even favorable conditions. It also hints at a courtly realism: criticism and rivalry often reveal truths that flattery and comfort conceal.