“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?