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Mar 11, 2022 · To know your enemy, first understand its strengths and weaknesses. First, you should assess these five traits regarding your forces. Then, assess these five traits for your enemy to size up the competition. “If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt.”
- The 5 Sun Tzu
To know your enemy, first understand its strengths and...
- The 5 Sun Tzu
- Overview
- Enemies engage in destructive criticis
- Enemies spread gossip about yo
- Enemies sabotage your path to succes
- Enemies may show defensive body languag
- Enemies may show aggressive body languag
- Enemies try to beat you at your own gam
- Enemies lie about who they truly ar
- Enemies have “unconditional antagonism” toward yo
- Enemies are needy, jealous, and selfis
Through no fault of your own, it’s a fact of life that you’ll face your fair share of enemies. An enemy may or may not intentionally try to hurt you, but they’ll always do things that go against your best interests. So it’s important to be able to pick out your enemies before they can really harm you. This article lists several strategies for ident...
Their criticism always tries to tear you down, not build you up.
When a real friend gives you constructive criticism, their goal is to encourage and support you with their honesty. Don’t confuse this with destructive criticism—its sole goal is to make you feel bad about yourself, usually because your enemy thinks this will somehow help them feel better about themselves.
A real friend might say, “Your presentation topic was very interesting, but I had trouble keeping up with how fast you were talking—I almost missed out on that excellent point you made in the middle part.”
An enemy might say, “Why don’t you try stopping to take a breath next time? You expect us to be able to make sense of whatever it is you’re trying to say up there?”
They try to hurt you by turning other people against you too.
If someone acts like a friend to your face (or over social media), then goes behind your back to reveal your secrets or spread false rumors, they’re definitely not your friend. It’s true that a real friend might slip up occasionally—gossiping is hard to resist!—but they’ll come clean and apologize about it.
They may try to hold you back even when it doesn’t help them.
At school or work, your enemy might aim to sabotage you by making lots of little complaints about you to your teacher or boss. They might be doing it in an effort to gain a higher class rank than you or get a promotion instead of you, or they may simply take a cruel pleasure in hurting you. Here are a few other scenarios you might experience:
They take an idea of yours, claim it as their own, and present it to your boss or teacher before you can.
They “accidentally” mess up on a key part of a collaborative project that’s really important to you.
They “forget” to share an important message with you, such as a change in a deadline.
They distract you with inane questions or pointless conversation when you really need to focus.
They might turn or lean away from you or put up physical barriers.
Someone who doesn’t like you may subconsciously try to distance and defend themselves from you. In addition to leaning, turning, or subtly stepping back, they might put up barriers by standing with their arms crossed or sitting with crossed legs. Overall, you may just get the feeling that they really don’t want to be around you.
They might stare at you more than normal, like a prey animal keeping a close eye out for a potential predator.
Keep in mind that this type of defensive posture does not guarantee that someone is an enemy. The person could be very friendly but also very shy! Don’t rely strictly on body language—instead, use it along with other clues you pick up on.
Instead of being defensive, your enemy may go to the other extreme.
Exaggerated body movements, whether defensive or aggressive, often indicate heightened emotions like anger. If the person is showing aggressive body language they may try to look bigger, such as by widening their hips and shoulders. Think of them like they’re an animal getting into a “don’t mess with me” pose!
Instead of staring at you defensively, they might glare at you offensively—that is, like they’re the predator and you’re the prey animal.
As with defensive body language, this isn’t a guaranteed sign of an enemy. Rely on body language as
They aim to gain a foothold and then overtake you before you realize it.
In the business world, an enemy could be a “disruptor,” a competitor who exploits some vulnerable element of your business plan and surges past you. In your personal life, they might be an acquaintance who tries to steal the affections of your boyfriend or girlfriend through gossip and duplicity. In both cases, they want what you have and are willing to use what they know about you in order to get it.
This is a common tactic online and also happens in person.
, for example, involves creating a fake persona, pretending to be a friend, and then hurting you for their own pleasure. Real-life enemies also commonly pretend to be something other than what they truly are, camouflaging their true intentions so they can get closer to their target. Not all liars are enemies, but nearly all enemies are liars!
Always do some sleuthing when someone tries to befriend you online. Ask some questions and do some digging online to see if their story checks out.
If you meet a new friend in person who just can’t seem to get their stories straight, raise your suspicion level. Ask yourself what they might have to gain by lying to you.
No matter the situation, they’re always working against your interests.
Their antagonism may be due to jealousy, a desire for vengeance, psychological issues, or a combination of these and other potential factors. If a true friend is someone who always has your back, then a true enemy is someone who always stabs you in the back.
This is especially true in a “toxic” friendship.
Not all enemies intend to be your enemy. Instead, they may be so self-centered that they don’t see—or don’t care—how their “friendship” hurts you. This type of toxic friend can be even more harmful to you than an open enemy is. Keep an eye out for signs like the following:
Everything is all about them, not about you.
They put you down in order to build themselves up.
They crave your attention but don’t show any to you.
They’re jealous of any other friendships you might have.
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Dec 12, 2023 · “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.
- Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak. This is one of the most famous Sun Tzu Art of War quotes. What does it mean? The goal of any conflict is to control your opponent and overcome them.
- If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles. This is another popular Sun Tzu Art of War quote.
- Victorious warriors win first and then go to war. This frequently-cited Sun Tzu Art of War quote often requires rereading. How can you win before you battle?
- In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity. Use chaos strategically. This is a Sun Tzu Art of War quote that we can apply off the battlefield.
- “Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War.
- “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War.
- “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.
- “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War.
May 14, 2024 · Two main ideas make understanding your opponent inside and out important: advantage and strategy. Keeping your enemy in the dark is a winning tactic. By understanding their strengths and limitations, their motivations and their potential for mistakes, you gain a strategic advantage.
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If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. – Sun Tzu
