Do you have an arch nemesis?

[Phoenix84]

It's common knowledge that Rukh has an arch nemesis. But what about the rest of you?

Do you have anyone in your life that would qualify as your arch nemesis? A worst enemy? An adversary?

If so, what's the "score?"

If I had to pick one person, it would have been my old boss at Air Force, the one who fired me. I learned recently that he was being considered for the new director position at work, but thankfully backed out. Having him as a manager again would have been a disaster.

Last time we tangled, I won, but it was kind of a pyrrhic victory.

[msventoux]

I don't, I've managed to get rid of them all!  Bwahaha 

I've never really had one at work.  I've mostly worked in small offices where it was apparent to everyone if someone wasn't being a team player.  I've worked with plenty of people I didn't particularly like, but would never sabotage them...but I might give them enough rope to hang themselves.  The people that we got rid of were those I was supervising, and it was abundantly clear to everyone in the office that there was no hope of them becoming competent and pulling their own weight, so my bosses got rid of them. 

Personally, growing up it would have been my brother.  He felt the same.  We eventually got over it.  I haven't really had any others in my personal life.  I'm extraordinarily lazy and interpersonal drama and head games drive me up the wall, so I've quickly cut any people like that out of my life so I don't have to deal with them. 

[swamp]

No. I'm pretty boring and get along with just about everyone. I don't like everyone, but I don't do anything to those I don't like. 

[Phoenix84]

Nov 7, 2014 22:24:02 GMT -5 @tbird said:

Nov 7, 2014 22:17:01 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

It's common knowledge that Rukh has an arch nemesis. But what about the rest of you?

Do you have anyone in your life that would qualify as your arch nemesis? A worst enemy? An adversary?

If so, what's the "score?"

If I had to pick one person, it would have been my old boss at Air Force, the one who fired me. I learned recently that he was being considered for the new director position at work, but thankfully backed out. Having him as a manager again would have been a disaster.

Last time we tangled, I won, but it was kind of a pyrrhic victory.

He quit and moved 2000 miles away......

Someone her mentioned that he didn't deserve the cool 'nemesis' title.... now - even though the issue is over - you have promoted him to 'arch nemesis'.....

Well, I didn't upgrade him to "the greatest and darkest threat ever to face the great kingdom of Rukh."

[bobosensei]

I have people I don't like, but no nemesis.  I'm too much my own person to let someone else get to me that way all the time.

Now, my dog has an arch nemesis.  Every time they can get to each other they fight, though neither ever gets hurt.  When restrained they still get super upset, hair up and making noise.  The other owner tried to give him a treat and he wouldn't take it.

[tallguy]

Do you have anyone in your life that would qualify as your arch nemesis? A worst enemy? An adversary?

No.  For someone to qualify as that, I would necessarily have to consider them not only at or above my level but also worthy of enmity.  No one is, and I prefer to treat them with disdain.      

[zibazinski]

Yup, and just by being alive, I manage to piss them off.

[alabamagal]

I had one at my previous employer.  The job functions we had caused some of the conflict, but he was very strong willed and would never budge on anything.

One time we had a big "let's get along meeting" with his manager and my manager, and it turned into more yelling and accusations.  After the meeting I asked my manager if I should change what I was doing and he said No, so it was pretty clear to me that my nemesis was the problem.

[Nazgul Girl]

  Our arch-nemesis is the crazy ex-attorney who kept suing my husband over a period of ten years, lost her license to practice for unethical behavior, and cost us $ 45,000 in legal fees to defend against her "nuisance" suits, haunted us by spewing filth about my husband in her legal briefs, tried to ruin our holidays by having him served on those days, etc.   Luckily, she's gone off our radars in the last two years, probably due to her exhausting all court venues, since the federal circuit court in Cincinnati wouldn't take her appeal, and with the worsening of her mental health issues.   She was barely functioning the last time we saw her in court.   She is pure evil.

[zibazinski]

[Phoenix84]

Nov 8, 2014 8:05:53 GMT -5 @tbird said:

Nov 7, 2014 22:17:01 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

It's common knowledge that Rukh has an arch nemesis. But what about the rest of you?

Do you have anyone in your life that would qualify as your arch nemesis? A worst enemy? An adversary?

If so, what's the "score?"

If I had to pick one person, it would have been my old boss at Air Force, the one who fired me. I learned recently that he was being considered for the new director position at work, but thankfully backed out. Having him as a manager again would have been a disaster.

Last time we tangled, I won, but it was kind of a pyrrhic victory.

Also - thinking more on your title here.....

To have an arch nemesis - does that not imply that there are multiple nemeses of which one is the principle? So - to elevate the clown (haha - I am learning from you all not to give these lot any linguistic distinctions!) to arch nemesis, must imply that there are at least 2 nemeses from which to chose the arch nemesis - yes? I certainly don't think I had two, and now - I have none.

In your case Phoenix, you would go back to the air force boss, and not the one you most recently dodged? Is the most recent one just a nemesis, and the old AF one the arch nemesis - or how would you conceptualize their rank order?

Pretty much.  My AF boss was smarter and overall more capable.  My boss from the job I just left never achieved nearly the same effect.  Honestly, she seemed more like a pain in the ass sometimes more than a threat.  It's clear she wasn't sure what doing.

[Phoenix84]

Nov 7, 2014 22:31:56 GMT -5 swamp said:

No. I'm pretty boring and get along with just about everyone. I don't like everyone, but I don't do anything to those I don't like. 

Come on Swamp, if TV and movies is to believed, every lawyer has bitter rivalries with other lawyers.  TV doesn't lie.  

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

I have people in my past who I exposed for their deceitful, dishonest, unethical, abusive ways who, in turn, made my children's lives, and therefore, mine, hell for a few years.

But, I have always referred to them as "unethical slimeballs" so since I consider myself at least one step above slimeball, they are not arch nemeses, or even nemeses, because we are not on equal footing intellectually.  

Sadly, I did let them get to me for a while (because of the harm they caused my children).  I finally saw through their bullcrap and bluster and propaganda and confidently and loudly labelled them what they truly are.  The facts and the law were completely on my side.  That shut them right down.  

I am sorry that it took me so long to see the truth and find my voice.  I am mostly sorry for the prolonged harm it caused my children.  But, it was a lesson I sincerely, genuinely, needed to learn, so it is all good.  Nowadays, one of their ilk could tell me the earth was round, and I wouldn't believe a word of it.  

So, arch nemesis, no.  But, that doesn't mean there aren't still people out there trying to impose their sordid, harmful, unethical will upon me.  

Like Ms. Ventoux, I just hand them the rope...

[TheHaitian]

If I do , I don't know it.

I am focused when it comes to my professional life and I don't have time for people I don't care for in my personal life.

Pretty boring life actually!!!

[mmhmm]

Gosh, no! That sounds like a lot of work for no return! I just ignore jerks. 

[Tennesseer]

"Newman."   

[OldCoyote]

Awww, yes friends come and go enemies accumulate.

[Deleted]

No.  I'm too old for that nonsense, and I want to enjoy the years I have left, and I want to use the energy I do have more effectively.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

But, sometimes one doesn't necessarily invite nemeses in.  By their very nature, nemeses usually "invite" themselves into one's life.  Then it's either deal with them and shut them down, or, as my sainted mother used to implore when there was an issue among us siblings:  "I. G. N. O. R. E.".  

[vonna]

Meh. I don't like conflict.  No arch nemesis here . . .

[midjd]

I had one throughout elementary and high school. We had quite the rivalry... both in all the same classes, same academic clubs/teams, same band instrument, etc. She ended up valedictorian, but I beat her on the SAT and ACT and was first chair flute. We were actually pretty good friends in elementary school, but something must have happened to make us hate each other. I honestly don't remember what.

Like me, she married her HS sweetheart. She didn't get into the graduate school of her choice, so spent an extra two years taking the LSAT. Then she went to Harvard Law (that was a blow).

On paper, I'd say she's winning. But she did push me to try harder, and for that I'm thankful. I have slacker tendencies, but I also hate to lose!

[NoNamePerson]

I have an imaginary evil twin. I blame all my misdoings on her. Does that count 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Well, I have an ex-husband. Does that count in a co-parenting sense? Because he's an idiot, and I'm a better parent. So there. (Well, I feel better.)

I'm having a bit of a tiff with another administrator in the district. He's made some asinine comments and I've tried to deal with them in a pro-active manner. He got offended at my attempt to be rational. Now, he's not speaking to me. Maybe he thinks of me as his nemesis, and I just think he's bitter and embodies mediocrity. 

[NancysSummerSip]

Nov 8, 2014 17:45:28 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

I have an imaginary evil twin. I blame all my misdoings on her. Does that count 

Imaginary? I thought that was me!

Aside from my office manager (aka The Hag), not really. Plenty of dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks relatives whom I avoid. A fellow member of my running club board, who did not like me the moment I joined the club. I stick around to annoy the poop out of her now. She just does not like the fact that I don't appear to be "runner-like" (in her tiny mind, a size 0, or thereabouts) and therefore, I am a worthless waste of space. I take time at every board meeting to piss her off.

[Formerly SK]

Nov 8, 2014 17:06:01 GMT -5 midjd said:

I had one throughout elementary and high school. We had quite the rivalry... both in all the same classes, same academic clubs/teams, same band instrument, etc. She ended up valedictorian, but I beat her on the SAT and ACT and was first chair flute. We were actually pretty good friends in elementary school, but something must have happened to make us hate each other. I honestly don't remember what.

Like me, she married her HS sweetheart. She didn't get into the graduate school of her choice, so spent an extra two years taking the LSAT. Then she went to Harvard Law (that was a blow).

On paper, I'd say she's winning. But she did push me to try harder, and for that I'm thankful. I have slacker tendencies, but I also hate to lose!

I bet her student loans are worse than yours, so you win! 

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Yes a former collaborator and his entire lab. He is very capable of manipulating things to get onto your projects and ride coat tails. He hasn't had his own grant in 15 years or been a first author on a paper in about as long.

His lab was HORRIBLe at their job, but very good at making everything someone else's fault.

For instance his undergrad student left 26 mouse tails on the counter overnight.  That meant they were not suitable for DNA extraction.   She maintained she never recieved the tails despite me having an email from her apologizing for destroying the tails.  After that I made her come to the lab to pick things up so I could have witnessses. 

For whatever reason he hated my guts the moment I walked in the door and for two years they spent a lot of time trying to get me in trouble/fired.

I talked to someone who had once been a graduate student in his lab and she said he did the same thing to her. He's driven quite a few students out of graduate school and made several techs quit over the years.

I wouldn't spit on him if he was on fire and I know the feeling is mutual.

[mmhmm]

Nov 8, 2014 17:45:28 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

I have an imaginary evil twin. I blame all my misdoings on her. Does that count 

I had one of those when I was a kid! I called her Noggie. Whenever something downright turrible was done, Noggie did it. I guess I ought to find out where she's hiding. I could use her every once in awhile when I get myself into a mess and don't want to admit it's on me! 

[Ava]

Nah, no enemies at all.
Life is too short for that.
Live and let live.

[Tennesseer]

Nov 8, 2014 20:32:14 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

Nov 8, 2014 17:45:28 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

I have an imaginary evil twin. I blame all my misdoings on her. Does that count 

I had one of those when I was a kid! I called her Noggie. Whenever something downright turrible was done, Noggie did it. I guess I ought to find out where she's hiding. I could use her every once in awhile when I get myself into a mess and don't want to admit it's on me! 

When I did something wrong but didn't want to take the blame, I always blamed 'I Dunno' the imp.

[ZaireinHD]

as much as I would like to say yea! lots!
honestly nope - none!

everyone just loves me!