What does it mean to Keep you friends close but you enemies closer?

Answer 1

Enemies are people that could do you emotional, physical or any kind of harm, so you want to keep a real close eye on them to make sure they don't. It's "watching your back" There is the fact that the better you know your enemy, the better you can defend yourself against him. Then there is the possibility that the better you understand him and his motivations, the better the chance of resolving the conflict happily for both sides. Then there is the possibility as expressed by R.A. Dickson who said "Love your enemies in case your friends turn out to be a bunch of bastards."

"One problem with 'Now People' is that they like to voice their opinion with today's rhetoric and semantics." (Dahlin & Kaufman1982) With that type of thinking there is a potential problem. It is that they are viewing something probably said hundreds of years before- hand, with that days more literal usage. Because of the human nature there is a need to be right. In this situations they say it enough time, to enough people that they will often find agreement. Like burning witches in Salem Massachusetts and many other states that went unrecorded. Many times agreement will be flawed and untrue! (Dahlin & Kaufman 1982)

I believe it could be argued that they mean, "Keep Your Friends in the Vicinity, keep your enemies in jail!" (Dahlin & Kaufman 1982)
Open enemy is better than hidden friendly enemy.