Why you should give credit to your nemesis

In the world of fight promotion there are some cardinal rules to make sure people tune in, because to be clear, getting people to watch is the ultimate goal, even above winning. Eyeballs on screens and butts in seats pay the bills. One of these fight-selling rules involves building the credibility of your opponent. If you paint the picture that you are leagues ahead of your foe then you run into  a few undesirable outcomes. First, intrigue is drawn from the unknown that comes from a "neck and neck" contest. Fans pay money to see competitive action. If you are perceived as the superior fighter you risk losing eyeballs due to the predictability of the upcoming bout. Second, once you do lock horns with your nemesis and defeat them, you do not look much stronger. If you spend hours in interviews talking about how weak or unskilled your opponent is then of course you beat them! Who wouldn't? Your win seems less impressive and your stock isn't raised. Third, what if you lose? You now find yourself at a level lower than the depths you had just psychological placed your opponent. Instead, the build up to the contest should include a healthy mix of optimism in regards to your skill and respect for the skill of the person standing across from you.


We live in a world that is becoming increasingly polarized, largely across lines of ideology (see my previous post Why Good People are Divided by Religion and Politics). Elections are won by the mongering of fear of the other side, scaring people that if the other team wins the sky will fall. The political battle is so bloody that who ever rises victorious does so beaten and battered, looking weak and incapable. Each side takes turns winning battles but nobody wins the war and we have consequently grown critical and distrusting of any government that is formed.

We engage in micro-competitions all of the time. Applying for jobs or promotions, playing sports, and even the subtly complicated competition for each others affection and attention. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose but if we over-criticise our competition we end up paying a steep price. We live in a world where it is easy to be a sore loser and a rude, ungracious winner. Healthy competition can bring out some of our best work but destroying our competition hurts everybody involved.
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So how can we improve. My challenge is to think of somebody to whom you are diametrically opposed whether it be religion, politics, or even.... sports teams. Spend some time, as long as takes, researching and pondering on what attributes you admire in that person. What accomplishments can you genuinely applaud. Are you able to see what their followers see?

If you're a democrat, give some credit to Trump. If you're a conservative give some love to Justin Trudeau. If you're atheist, testify of the positive you see in your most religious acquaintances. If you're religious, analyze what makes your secular friends so great.

If your answer is that there is no redeeming qualities to Donald Trump or Justin Trudeau then YOU are the problem.

Let's start a hashtag #CreditWhereCreditIsDue and then mention some redeeming qualities in your "opponent".


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