"Garde tes amis près de toi et tes rivaux encore plus près."

Keeping your friends close means valuing and nurturing your relationships with people you hold dear. These are the ones who support you, cheer for you, and stand by your side when times get tough. But the idea of keeping your rivals even closer suggests a strategy for handling those who may not always have your best interests at heart. It's about awareness, understanding, and maybe even a bit of tactical thinking.

Historically, this advice has often been tied to political and military leaders who needed to manage both allies and enemies carefully. We're talking about figures like Niccolò Machiavelli, the Renaissance political strategist, who believed in understanding one's adversaries to maintain power and avoid being blindsided. It's not about deceit or trickery, but about strategic awareness.

Let's break it down with a real-life example. Imagine you're working in a competitive corporate environment. There’s Jane, a colleague who's always vying for the same promotions and projects as you. Instead of seeing her as a constant threat and avoiding her, you decide to learn more about her. You understand her strengths and weaknesses, her motivations, and even her work style. By getting closer, you might discover mutual respect and even opportunities for collaboration that benefit both of you. Or, at the very least, you can anticipate her moves and be better prepared in your strategy.

So, how do you apply this in your own life? Start by identifying who your rivals are. Reflect on their actions and try to understand their motivations. Engage with them in a neutral setting—grab a coffee, have a casual chat. It’s not about prying into their lives but creating a space where you can observe and learn. Pay attention to their strategies, their successes, and their failures. This knowledge becomes your asset.

Now, think about a relatable scenario. Picture this: you’re in high school, part of the debate team. There’s another student, Alex, who always seems to be one step ahead in competitions. Instead of seeing Alex as the enemy, you decide to team up on a project. Through this collaboration, you observe their preparation techniques, their argumentation style, and even how they handle rebuttals. You learn a lot—some tricks you can incorporate into your own approach, and others that give you insight into how to counter Alex’s arguments more effectively in future debates.

In essence, this approach isn't about making friends with everyone or becoming a person who can’t be trusted. It's about strategic relationships. It’s about understanding the landscape around you so that you can navigate it more effectively. Friends support you and lift you up, but knowing your rivals deeply can prevent you from being caught off guard. It’s a balance of emotional intelligence and strategic thinking.

So next time you find yourself facing a rival, don’t just turn away. Lean in, observe, and learn. It might just give you the edge you need. And who knows? You might even find that the person you thought of as a rival has more in common with you than you ever expected.