He who fights with monsters should look to it that he does not become one
Meaning: In struggling against evil, we risk adopting the very characteristics we oppose.
Origin: From Friedrich Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil (1886), aphorism 146, which continues: "And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Celui qui lutte contre des monstres doit veiller à ne pas devenir l'un d'eux (literally: He who fights monsters must take care not to become one)
- Spanish: Quien lucha contra monstruos debe cuidar no convertirse en uno (literally: He who fights monsters should see that he doesn't become one)
- Japanese: 怪物と戦う者は自分が怪物にならないよう気をつけよ (Kaibutsu to tatakau mono wa jibun ga kaibutsu ni naranai yō ki wo tsukereyo) (literally: He who fights monsters should take care not to become one)
- German: Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehn, dass er nicht zum Ungeheuer wird (literally: Whoever fights with monsters had better see to it that he does not become a monster)
More proverbs about Wisdom
- Wisdom begins in wonder — Curiosity and a sense of amazement at the world are the foundations of all knowledge.
- He who is everywhere is nowhere — Trying to do too many things at once means accomplishing nothing properly.
- Do not go where the path may lead; go where there is no path and leave a trail — True innovation and leadership mean forging your own way rather than following the crowd.
- A nail is driven out by another nail — New habits, relationships, or ideas can effectively replace and eliminate old ones.
- The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook — True wisdom includes knowing which details and offenses are not worth your attention or e…
- A bad penny always comes back — Undesirable people or problems have a persistent way of reappearing despite your efforts…
From our compliments & insults
- 目に入れても痛くない (Me ni irete mo itakunai) — Said of someone you adore completely, often a child or grandchild.
- Bête comme ses pieds — Really not very bright.
- Avoir un poil dans la main — To be incurably lazy.