Know the Enemy, Know Yourself

“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

Unrealistically, I would like the opportunity to have a safe lunch with the enemy. Having joined America's finest fighting force, the Marine Corps Infantry, at 18 years old, about a third of my life was dedicated to the War on Terrorism. I have lost friends, teammates, supervisors, and other associates. Years of conflict have left me feeling unsettled to say the least. I know the enemy has had their struggles. 

Where did this idea come from? I was taking a "macro-meditation" class, and the theme was wishing peace on others. We started with those we loved, then worked our way to strangers, then finally OUR ENEMIES. I thought to myself, why would I ever wish peace on my enemy, our enemy. I thought, clearly this teacher has never dealt with terrorists and insurgents. But, the more I think about it... there is always another side. 

Not only would having lunch with someone from the enemy provide great intelligence for future operations, maybe it will give a little closure to some of the lost years of my life, and help others who feel the same way I do. 

We would have the following ground rules in effect as a minimum:

1. Don't kill each other 
2. No Indoctrinating 
3. Don't persuade, defend, interrupt 
4. Just be curious, conversational, and willing to listen

I would be curious about their upbringing, childhood, family life, culture, and their life experiences. I would be curious about what their training was like, what their goals and aspirations were. We could talk about the fears we faced and how we coped with them. We could definitely discuss the issues that led us to joining our respective organizations. We would literally be two warriors dropping weapons and learning what it's like to be on the other side. Maybe getting to a point where we can both let go of some of the anger and resentment that we have towards each other, and some of the stereotypes.  

Branching into the business world, it can be said that "if you know your company's capabilities and have astutely sized up your competitors, you can duke it out and stand to be victorious in battle" (Eisen, 2018). While corporate espionage is highly unethical, learning your operational environment and understanding your competitors better will do nothing but make you better.

"Knowing your enemy" can be applied not only to competitors external to your workplace, but also internal competitors that are not the "conventional enemy". If you are competing for a promotion, learning more about that person can help you be better. Maybe these people can inspire you to work harder, be more organized, or not act a certain way. Or, the enemy is someone that you don't necessarily get along with in the work place and getting to understand each other will resolve past and future dilemmas.  Understanding other people's goals, life experiences, and concerns can improve many different situations. 

Eisen, D. (2018). Knowing your enemy is only the start. Hotel Management, 233(8), 4. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/2064341011?accountid=27203

Tzu, S. (2017). The Art of War. Knickerbocker Classics.