Facing Competition: You Can Tame Rivals or Align Interests Instead of Eliminating Them

Originally published 2023-08-03Robin’s opening remarks plus a reprint from Luo Pang’s 60 Seconds (Dedao)

Storage information

Bookmarks and reading positions are stored in this browser. Manage and back them up in My Reading.

Collected in Robin Shen’s Field Notes · Content type and attribution are shown above

English translation of the Chinese post originally published 2023-08-03. Translated 2026-10-30 with AI assistance. Historical figures and claims have not been updated or independently verified. 中文原文

Reading guide

Robin opens by suggesting another approach to competition: rather than always trying to eliminate rivals, find ways to tame them or align their interests with yours. A fable reprinted from Luo Pang’s 60 Seconds describes God facing two demons with only two arrows. One demon can be killed with one arrow, the other with two. God shoots the latter once, then tells both that whoever disobeys will receive the remaining arrow—and gains two slaves. The text says that when facing something hostile, we tend to want to eliminate it with every tool available and always feel underpowered. Another approach is to tame it, rise above it, and make it part of ourselves.

Key points

Rethink competition: tame rivals or align interests.
The fable: one arrow held in reserve keeps both demons obedient.
Instead of only trying to eliminate rivals, consider making them part of yourself.

One clear path continues into the distance among several branching routes, suggesting choice and focus. — Entrepreneurship & strategyThematic illustration · AI generated

Full text — English translation

You can think differently about competition. Rather than always trying to eliminate rivals, find a way to tame them or align their interests with yours. ---- Someone asked God, “I hear you are particularly good at subduing demons.” God said, “Yes.” The person continued, “Then let me ask you something. Two demons are coming to make trouble for you. One can be killed with one arrow; the other takes two. You have only two arrows. Which one do you shoot?” This is a difficult problem. Work it out arithmetically, and one demon will always remain to cause trouble. God said, “Easy. One demon takes two arrows to kill, right? I shoot that one once. Then I tell them both that whoever disobeys gets the remaining arrow. Now I have two slaves at my disposal.” When facing anything hostile from outside, we usually think about using every tool we have to conquer and eliminate it, doing everything possible to get rid of the problem. That is why we constantly feel that we lack strength or resources. But there is always another approach: tame them, rise above them, and make them part of ourselves. #得到羅胖60秒

These articles are personal notes, book excerpts, and collected reprints. Figures and events reflect the time of the original publication, are not current information, and do not constitute investment advice.

DISCUSSION

Reader comments

What did this article make you think about? Different perspectives and constructive criticism are welcome.

Comments are public immediately. Do not include personal contact details or external links. Automated checks block suspicious solicitation, prohibited transactions and spam; they can make mistakes.

Comments load when you reach this section.

Administrator sign-in