Brain Food #468
On having enemies
The entire world seems to have watched The Last Dance, the ESPN and Netflix documentary on the triumphs, tribulations, and intermittent tragedies that marked the story of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls during their peak in the late 80s and 90s.
Spanning a range of themes, from loss to leadership, the purpose of having enemies is not a main area of focus in the series, but one that weaves itself throughout the narrative of successes. The opportunity to prove wrong those who judged him and those who provoked him added more fuel to Jordan’s fire. Every time someone challenged him or threatened his status as the best player in the NBA, Jordan added them to his ‘list’. The rest is history.
Psychologists have even suggested that having enemies provides us with a clearer view of the world, and our place in it. The presence of enemies provides us with a challenge, a benchmark to compare ourselves against, but also a subtle reminder that we may be on the right path.
“Some one dear to one can be loved with human love; but an enemy can only be loved with divine love.”
― Leo Tolstoy
If you were forwarded this email and you'd like to receive more, you can sign up and receive it daily in your inbox.
And if you love Brain Food and want the world to know about it, feel free to share it with them.
If you have any questions, thoughts, ideas you'd like to share, just hit reply.
Read longer Brain Food musings on Medium.