Seeing everyone as your competitor has two negative
consequences. First, it isolates you and your efforts, putting
a full burden on your shoulders that others could help you
bear; and second, it means you waste energy trying to set
others back rather than using that energy to push yourself
forward.
Consider the following true story by Frank Koch in an
issue of Proceedings, the magazine of the United States
Naval Institute. Two battleships assigned to the training
squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather
for several days. Koch was serving on the lead battleship
and was standing watch on the bridge as night fell. He
recounts his experience.
"The visibility was extremely poor with patchy fog, so
the captain remained on the bridge, keeping an eye on our
navigation activities.
"Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge
reported, 'Light, bearing on the starboard bow!'
"The captain called out, 'Is it steady or moving astern?'
"The lookout replied, 'Steady, captain,' which meant that
we were on a collision course with that source of light.
"The captain then called to the signalman, 'Signal that
ship: We are on a collision course ... advise you change
course 20 degrees.'
"Back came the signal from the other ship. 'Advisable for
you to change course 20 degrees!'
"The captain barked, 'Send, I'm a captain ... change
course 20 degrees immediately.'
" 'I'm a seaman second class,' came the reply. 'You had
better change course 20 degrees!'
"By this time, the captain was furious. He spat out, 'Send,
I'm a battleship. Change course 20 degrees.'
"Back came the signal from the flashing light, 'I'm a lighthouse.'
"The captain changed course."
The moral of the story is that it is futile to try to set others
back when you could turn yourself 20 degrees and go
forward!
Source: Psychology of Motivation by Dr. Denis Waitley.
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