《The 48 Laws of Power in Practice》Law 2: Never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use enemies.
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Friends will betray you when they have something personal to gain. It is wiser to employ an enemy and get them on your side. If you don't have an enemy, create one.
You are lucky if you've never been betrayed by a friend, but there's a reason why they say business and friends do not mix. Read below for my experiences with this.
Apparently, there are several ways to use an enemy. One is when you make them work for you like when police work with informants. Or when you hear the saying "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", for when fighting an enemy becomes a common cause. Another interpretation is that having an adversary to compete against will make you stronger. Like during the coverage of the 2020 Olympics the announcers kept yelling out "steel sharpens steel!" which I guess is what they meant.
After I landed an entry-level job in fashion, I made my first friend on the job. She'd been there longer than me and told me all the company gossip. I liked her sarcastic attitude and we could vent to each other. One day, I opened up about how much money I made because I barely made any, so that was my vent that day. I noticed she was quiet for a moment but didn't give it much thought.
The next day, my boss called me into her office and closed the door. I was in trouble. She told me that my coworker, the one I called my friend had come in complaining about being underpaid and threw out my name for comparison. I was written up for sharing confidential salary information. I felt like a fool, and never confronted my friend about it.
Another example is when I got promoted over another friend at work. We used to go out every weekend and sometimes on the weekdays too. I started getting more responsible and would go home first. But she would go too far and call in sick the next day, and I was expected to cover for her!
Have you ever had drama with a friend at work?
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