“A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.”Oscar Wilde · Portretul lui Dorian Gray · 1890 · capitolul 1
Your enemies are a choice that defines your character and ambitions.
Wilde ironically suggests that enemies are not accidental. They are a choice: the enemies you make reflect your values and ambitions. An artist who makes enemies among mediocrities proves they aim high; a person who quarrels with all neighbors shows a quarrelsome character. Being 'too careful' means choosing your adversaries as deliberately as your friends, because they define you.
Why it matters It teaches us not to let circumstances impose our enemies, but to choose them consciously. It reminds us that fighting unworthy people lowers us to their level.