Chances are, you think that you have an archenemy. In fact, you might think that you have several. In the case of the former, you might be right. But if the latter is the case, then you’re wrong; you have nemeses (that’s the plural of ‘nemesis’, apparently), but you don’t have an archenemy. It’s a mistake that’s easy to make, but there are a number of distinctions, mostly related to how you feel about people in the different groups. Here are some examples:
- A nemesis is someone you dislike immensely, but can still work with if you have to. An archenemy is someone you hate with the passion of seven Hells, and would only work with if the entire planet was in peril, and even then, begrudgingly.
- A nemesis is someone you see as having redeeming qualities. An archenemy is someone you see as the devil incarnate.
- A nemesis is someone you want to be better than or beat at something. An archenemy is someone who you want to utterly destroy.
- If your nemesis died, you would attend their funeral and pay your respects. If your archenemy died, you would (a) dance on their grave, (b) poop on their grave, (c) seduce their significant other on their grave, or (d) some combination of the above.
So those are the distinctions. You can have many nemeses, but only one archenemy; however, one person can be the archenemy of multiple people. For example, Batman is the archenemy of the Riddler, the Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Bane, and so on. But Batman’s archenemy is the Joker – the rest are his nemeses.
You might think that, given all of the negativity involved, having an archenemy is a bad thing. But there are many reasons why it’s not only practical, but also essential:
- You’ll work harder. Having an archenemy who can outclass and defeat you is a powerful motivator. Your competitive drive will lead you to be more diligent on tasks that can push you towards success.
- You’ll work smarter. If you’re going to beat your archenemy, you’ll have to quantify your success to show how you beat them. As such, you’ll be more careful about how you do things, and will put more thought into what projects and pursuits you take on the path to victory.
- You’ll innovate. Your archenemy will try to find creative ways to bring you down, so you need to create ways to deflect these potential threats. To steal a quote from Francis Bacon: “There is something insane and self-contradictory in supposing that things that have never yet been done can be done except by means never tried.”
- You’ll develop your personal brand. To truly defeat your archenemy, you will need to get public support on your side. By cultivating your personal brand to maximum efficiency and effectiveness, people will cheer when you finally bring them down.
- You’ll learn from your mistakes. If your archenemy tricks you or beats you at something, you will want to get back at them. So you’ll analyze what happened, what you did wrong, and how to improve for next time.
- Your focus will increase. Whenever someone has a goal, be it a short- or long-term one, they begin to focus on how to complete their self-created mission. By planning out your next steps, you will not only become more cautious and precise in your planning, but you will be more focused and dedicated to the task.
- You won’t settle for less than perfection. Since you’re working harder, smarter and more creatively, you’ll want your efforts to reflect your peak performance – after all, beating one’s archenemy at anything less than 100% isn’t a real victory.
When it comes to choosing an archenemy, it doesn’t have to be someone you interact with frequently. They could be someone from your past who you haven’t talked to in years, or even a celebrity who irritates you to no end. By building a comparative model for your success, you will become more motivated and dedicated to pursuing personal excellence.
Having an archenemy isn’t really about them. It’s not about building up a Lex Luthor-like obsession with defeating someone else and doing horrible, destructive things to them. It’s about bringing out your best performance and abilities to help you achieve more, both personally and professionally. And hopefully, when you’re done, the archenemy won’t matter so much anymore.
NOTE: This post is inspired by a short essay by Chuck Klosterman, which you can read here.
