The one about the "nemesis."
You Don't Need a Mentor—Find a Nemesis Instead.
Recent read: You Don't Need a Mentor—Find a Nemesis Instead.
The idea is that having a "nemesis," a rival or adversary, can be more beneficial for personal and professional development than having a mentor: a nemesis can push an individual to work harder and be more motivated as it provides a sense of purpose and focus. Finding a nemesis can be more effective than seeking a mentor because it allows individuals to take ownership of their own development and growth rather than relying on someone else to guide them.
A few of excerpts:
I believe that my Nemesis Concept even explains key developments in music and the arts. A recent study of composers during the period 1750-1899 discovered that they were significantly more productive when they lived in close proximity to other composers. The most likely way of accounting for this, to my mind, is the inherent rivalry that arises when creative people encounter each other daily.
The first thing to understand is that your nemesis is not your enemy. Or, put differently, your nemesis is more than just an enemy. Rather, the nemesis is an adversary is who is like your dark twin. Even as you battle with the nemesis, you share a kind of DNA. The gaze at your nemesis is like looking into a mirror, but one of those fun house mirrors at the carnival, where everything is both recognizable and distorted.
Batman had a true nemesis in the Joker—and even a child could see the genetic resemblance. They both wear strange outfits. They both had bad childhoods. They both operate outside the law. They are both unhinged. They are both obsessed with gadgets. They both are shameless media hounds.