This morning, while waiting for a friend over breakfast, I found myself reflecting on relationships. What’s better, to have friends, foes, or both?
Some introspection-
1) As children, we step out into a world beyond parents and siblings. We meet others, some become friends, some foes.
Parents shield us at first, but as we grow, adaptation becomes our own responsibility.
2) In the corporate world, this cycle intensifies.
We strive for autonomy yet live within reporting lines.
With success, we gain more friends, but also more foes. Ironically, foes often help us more, by exposing weaknesses, creating friction, and pushing us to adapt faster.
3) But friends too aren’t permanent. With closeness comes comparison, resentment, and fault lines. Friendships can turn hostile, and foes can become allies.
4) Life reminds us, nothing is fixed, everything is circular. The real art lies in spotting hostility before it bursts the balloon of a bad relationship.
5) Friends and foes both shape us, teaching resilience, adaptability, and the impermanence of human bonds.
So perhaps the answer is not either, or. We need both. Each is a mirror, reflecting lessons we might otherwise ignore.