What are the qualities of an enemy? They should be those whose acts are unsavoury against our well-being. An enemy should be every negative thing against our desires, goals or expectations.
So our imagined enemy is the one that should lead us to the hands of the wicked: the one who dupes us or makes it possible for others, the one who leads us to temptation, to disobey law and order, the one who stalls our progress because of envy, the one who blinds us to our injury.
Now, consider the man who would prefer to stay awake into the night every day only to have sleep disturb him the next day on the new job he has just gotten. If he loses his job as a result, who then is the enemy? Consider the lady who prefers to eat this and that because it is free, only to start dieting the next week; skipping meals, daily vigorous exercise and avoiding the same food she devoured so gluttonously the previous week. She is now flogging her body to reduce its size. Who is her enemy?
Being an enemy is not a lack of love for oneself but indulging in acts that would produce a decision that punishes the body or your welfare later. We are both our best friend and our worst enemy in one body. People look outwards for their enemies believing that such a revered villain must be lurking out there, wishing hell and brimstone. A characteristic of an enemy is that they wish or act against you. Unknowingly, we act against ourselves. How do you explain a man who risks his life for the thrill of his own pleasure? Yet, life would be dull without challenges.
Now, consider a one-engine plane developing engine problems high above. And after knowing this, a man decides to board. If the plane carries two passengers; inclusive of the pilot, who amongst them is the enemy of the other? No, it is not the pilot. Every one of them had decided to be thrilled irrespective of the probability of engine failure. The pilot is not a facilitator; he is also not the enemy of his passengers but his own very enemy. Except the situation is desperate for a one-engine plane escape plan then, it is an act against the well-being of self in a crash. The same goes for a one-engine boat in a high wave sea.
A man goes to a party and discovers free food. He, therefore, decides to eat and eat. Then he chokes on the helpings. Same also goes for strong drinks. He indulges in excess and loses self-control ending in the gutter.
In the name of fashion, Paula put on a sleeveless dress and at the airport’s waiting room, she almost froze to death due to the cold. Who is her worst enemy in this case? We are the enemy we are not really looking for.