proverb · Words worth keeping
Divide and conquer.
Divide and conquer.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The instruction links division with conquest. In the supplied gloss, it describes weakening opposition by preventing a group from acting together.
What the words are saying
The brief wording does not name a setting or opponent. A careful application can analyse the tactic without endorsing manipulation or hostility. The phrase does not establish that division guarantees success or that disagreement in a group has been deliberately caused.
Everyday example
An observer examines whether a proposal sets cooperating groups against each other rather than addressing their shared concerns.
When to use it
Use it to analyse a claimed strategy with attention to its actual effects.
What it does not mean
Division does not guarantee conquest, and disagreement does not prove manipulation.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 172; PDF page 29
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.