Is My Frenemy a Friend or My Enemy? By Dan Harkey

Friendships:

By definition, two or more people develop a friendship when it creates a state of enduring affection, esteem, intimacy, and trust between them.

In plainer terms, the people enjoy each other's company, engaging in casual conversations and light-hearted banter with minimal expectations.

All relationships, especially in business, have reciprocating responsibilities of honesty, integrity, forthrightness, and dependability. Trust is the cornerstone of these connections.

A friend may express an opinion and be assured that it will not be filtered through someone else’s rose-colored glasses-ridged value system.

Frenemy:

The term 'Frenemy' was first coined in 1953 by Walter Winchell, a renowned newspaper columnist, to describe a unique type of relationship.?

A frenemy is not just an enemy but someone who chooses to associate for personal gain. This person pretends to be a friend, but at the core, they are a rival, an enemy.? They linger, hoping to reap benefits from our relationship. It's a mutual exploitation, a deceptive game we both play.

By understanding and identifying these toxic relationships, we can empower ourselves to navigate them more effectively and avoid them altogether. This knowledge can lead to personal growth and a healthier, more fulfilling life, offering an optimistic outlook.

?https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frenemy#:~:text=%22Frenemy%22%20is%20a%20portmanteau%20of,a%20friend%20and%20an%20enemy%22 .

Parasite relationships:

A “parasite” possesses a symbiotic interaction with another organism. The parasite benefits from the “host” by living on or inside, taking nutrients, or, in human terms, gaining benefits such as food, shelter, money, benefits, or influence.

I am particularly interested in business relationships that are essentially “parasitic. " In these relationships, one individual, partner, partnership, or company gains more significantly at the expense of another, “purposefully exploiting the host.” ?The primary characteristic of the relationship is “unequal value.”

This may occur between friends and organizations (managers and employees). A manager or leader may manipulate his employees into a strategic position of dependence, causing them to be unable to function without that person.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasitism#:~:text=Parasitism%20is%20a%20close%20relationship%20between%20species%2C,adapted%20structurally%20to%20this%20way%20of%20life.&text=Unlike%20commensalism%20and%20mutualism%2C%20the%20parasitic%20relationship,intestinal%20parasites%2C%20consuming%20some%20of%20its%20food

?Sycophants:

A sycophant is a person who insincerely flatters another for gain or favor. In simpler terms, they might be called a 'bootlicker,' 'kissing ass,' or someone who shows 'obsequiousness.'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sycophancy

In my business life, I have always been interested in dissecting the depth and undercurrents of superficial symbiotic and exploitative relationships.

The insights shared here are invaluable in navigating the complex relationships we encounter in our personal and professional lives. I hope you find value in these reflections and that they enlighten and inform you, contributing to your understanding and growth.

Thank you

Dan Harkey

Educator & Private Money Lending

949 533 8315 [email protected]

Visit www.danharkey.com