“A man may learn wisdom even from a foe.”

—Aristophanes, 4th Century BC Greek Playwright

Image from India Today

Take a look at this list of famous foes:

• Batman / The Joker
• Superman / Lex Luthor
• Professor X / Magneto
• Spiderman / The Green Goblin
• Harry Potter / Voldemort

In the business world, consider the following pairs:

• Coke / Pepsi
• Ford / GM
• Thomas Edison / Nikola Tesla
• Bill Gates / Steve Jobs
• Marvel Comics / D.C.

What other famous adversarial pairs can you think of? What potential positive benefits have been brought forth due to the considerable challenges faced on the battlefield – both imaginary and real?

EXERCISE:

Who do you consider your foe? How and in what ways may they be providing you wise lessons you often overlook?