"I owe much to my friends; but, all things considered, it strikes me that I owe even more to my enemies. The real person springs life under a sting even better than under a caress"

This quote by Andre Gide speaks with the importance of difficulty in life. He suggests that we owe more to our opponents than our good friends since it is our enemies who challenge us and push us to become better variations of ourselves. Gide thinks that it is through the sting of our enemies that we have the ability to really come alive and grow. He implies that it is only through the hard moments in life that we are able to discover and develop our character. This quote motivates us to accept the challenges that come our way and to use them as an opportunity to become more powerful and wiser. It is a suggestion that misfortune can be an effective tool for growth and development.