Letter to Ernest Fenollosa, December 1898, cited from Elizabeth Bisland (ed.) Life and Letters (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1923) vol. 3, p. 147.
“
My friends are much more dangerous than my enemies. These latter – with infinite subtlety – spin webs to keep me out of places where I hate to go, – and tell stories of me to people whom it would be vanity and vexation to meet; – and they help me so much by their unconscious aid that I almost love them.
— Lafcadio Hearn
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "My friends are much more dangerous than my enemies. These latter – with infinite subtlety – spin webs to keep me out of places where I hate to go, – and tell stories of me to people whom it would be vanity and vexation to meet; – and they help me so much by their unconscious aid that I almost love them." in the context of "Letter to Ernest Fenollosa, December 1898, cited from Elizabeth Bisland (ed.) Life and Letters (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1923) vol. 3, p. 147." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Lafcadio Hearn" (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Lafcadio Hearn
Patricio Lafcadio Carlos Hearne (27 June 1850 – 26 September 1904) was a Greek-born journalist, author and academic. He was brought up in Ireland and lived for many years in the United States before moving to Japan, taking Japanese citizenship, and adopting the name Yakumo Koizumi.
About Lafcadio Hearn
Patricio Lafcadio Carlos Hearne (27 June 1850 – 26 September 1904) was a Greek-born journalist, author and academic. He was brought up in Ireland and lived for many years in the United States before moving to Japan, taking Japanese citizenship, and adopting the name Yakumo Koizumi.
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