Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Film ·163 of 348
"Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."
They never said that.
What people say
"Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."
What was actually said
Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. — originally from The Godfather Part II (1974). Michael Corleone — The Godfather Part II (1974)
Why it stuck
The line is routinely misattributed to Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, or Chinese proverbs. None of those texts contain it. The film is the first documented source.
Machiavelli advises the opposite in The Prince — that a ruler should eliminate enemies, not befriend them.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.