Pyrrhic victories
October 4, 2024•165 words
Pyrrhic victories are victories where you won but it was not worth winning. Historically, this term is applied in the context of war. The side that "wins" lost so many lives and it cost them billions of dollars.
In everyday life, pyrrhic victories look like waiting outside dunkin donuts for 30 minutes to get a free donut that costs only $2. Our time is far more valuable than what we gained. Free things are never free.
Rivalries that lead to mimetic violence turn into pyrrhic victories for one side. Ferrari and Lamborghini. One side nearly destroys itself while trying to destroy another.
This concept reminds me of the Tao Te Ching quote "There are some things which it is a gain to lose, and a loss to gain."
Are we engaging in any conflict at the moment that will lead to a pyrrhic victory? Are we going after things that would harm us if we gained them? Could we lose something that would benefit us?