I have heard so many people say “Two is not a winner.” With this, I agree. This spirit is good to motivate people to be their best. However I have seen this same spirit consume people and bring out extremely selfish tendencies, bordering on animalistic behavior. And not the domestic kind of animal.The wild, untamed, self-serving sort; the cunning fox, the clever hare.
The untempered need to win, to be the best, can bring out the jungle traits in a person. You meet a person who thinks they have to get it no matter how, regardless of the consequences. This is one of the reasons as to why most people work hard day and night but never progress.
I know very many people are saying “I don’t do that!” Let’s see….. Have you ever taken any one for granted in the sense of “What can she or he do to me? He or she is not that intelligent to realize we are doing this to them? Have you ever taken advantage of someone in any way? Taken what is not rightfully yours? Done something behind someone’s back? Sneaked into a friend’s computer to copy their presentation? Got someone fired because you want their job? The list is endless but if you have tried any of the above you are a culprit. I really understand the need to be the best and clearly any working person is thriving to achieve this. But we need to understand there are ways one can to get to the top without using other people as stepping stones. We all know this is not as simple as it sounds because some people make manipulating them too easy a feat. Then using them as stepping stones doesn’t exactly count as self-centered behavior. Or so we tell ourselves.
The biggest secret to do this is learning to empathize. Put you self in this persons shoes, ask yourself how you would feel if this was done to you, see things from their point of view. That way you are able to judge if what you are doing is right or wrong. Empathy can do a lot for you, for instance from the business point of view it gives you ability to understand you customers/clients fully and then be able to respond to their needs accordingly. Also, it is a good leadership& team playing skill. More so it portrays you as a trust worthy person, to mention but a few. And in life everybody wants to identify with such a person. So start by being that person. And watch your career or business grow; based on the right foundations.
It’s good to think and advise people to feel empathy towards other people’s feelings but based on a real life experience where I lost my job because my colleague did all to make me lose my job so as to take it! This person is now really doing well and in today’s job market I find the manipulative kinds are the ones really succeeding!
Being manipulative, conniving, and sneaky is the key, and I hate to say it most people who are all those things are really successful, look at Diana Ross she stepped all over people during her day and was a schemer, but she became the biggest star in the world.