Friend or foe?

Question

If you are trying to help an enemy would you praise or denegrate? (If you are trying to help a friend, you would naturally praise.)

If you are trying to ruin a friend, you would naturally denigrate. But if you are trying to ruin an enemy would you praise or denegrate?

People praise me too much and so I need to know if they are enemy or foe and what is the motive.

I AM NOT OUT TO RUIN ANYONE>

I don't need your input on the MORALITY of it

Answer 1

I believe Socrates (although it might have been someone else) once said he valued his enemies above his friends, because his friends he could never trust to be brutally honest, but his enemies would always tell him what they truly believed about him.

Someone who is praising you, if you've established that they're not being sarcastic, is your "friend" in one way or another, e.g. they need something from you, they like you.

Answer 2

I try not to denigrate anyone. If I tried to help an enemy it would be an earnest attempt to help, not a malicious plot to seem helpful just to stab them in the back. Admittedly I would be much less willing to assist an enemy than a friend. An enemy is anyone who is cruel to me without cause (unfortunately there have been a couple of those.) To me, there is no excuse for deliberate cruelty. It is unforgivable. I just try to avoid/ignore such people as best I can. I will assert myself when I need to but this seems to fall on deaf ears with some people.

Someone has to want to be helped. Enemies may not be willing to admit that they need help. This is part of the problem. Anyone who is mean with others without reason has underlying issues they likely won't admit even to themselves. Happy, confident well-adjusted people don't have to hurt others to make themselves feel better.

I give praise when it is deserved. I don't give false praise to friend or foe & I don't put people down. I only defend myself when attacked. I don't set out to "ruin" anyone. Evil people will be punished eventually anyway.

Answer 3

I say praise. Because the natural reaction to praise is not as strong as the natural reaction of denegration. In a world that is so overcome with media attention, one would probably not want to rouse up the media attention if their enemy was looking to get their message out, i.e. the war in Iraq, and recruit more people who are sympathetic to their cause.

Answer 4

1. Why would you try to help an enemy? If you *had* to help them, I would naturally denegrate because people usually see the worst in their enemies.

2. If you were trying to ruin an enemy you would praise them for ruining themselves so well, because you want them to ruin themselves. You wouldn't denegrate them because then they might be discouraged and stop ruining themselves. Follow?

Answer 5

I usually wait until I am asked for help. I don't praise people often unless it is above and beyond what they would normally do. Doing what is "decent" or "right" doesn't require praising in my view.

Denigration is another matter as sometimes, a friend might benefit from hearing something that they will perceive as negative. As one example, letting a friend that they are drinking to much and it is affecting you can feel like a denigration, but this is also part of a relationship issue.

Ruining anyone isn't part of my agenda. People have a tendency to do that on their own, and they can often do it quite well without any participating from me.

Answer 6

An enemy can be your friend if you both have the same objective. Praise and denegration are nothing but words.

Answer 7

Helping an enemy would be the same as helping a friend. I wouldn't try to ruin an enemy.

Answer 8

People know me as straightforward, honest person, and I would not want to spoil that reputation. I praise that which is praiseworthy and denegrate that which is not. Friend or foe, honesty is the best policy.

Answer 9

Hmm. That's some question. First of all, I wouldn't stoop to that level. (ruin an enemy). I wouldn't waste my time. I would apply my energy to a more productive and worthwhile end.

Answer 10

Help the enemy, help the friend. Those are my answers.....I can't help it, I just love the feeling when what I do goes to make someone better, whether they realize it or not. Or keep hating me for it, one of the two....lol