The US and China, Manchester United and Liverpool, Truss and Sunak. It seems wherever you look, rivalry abounds. As the UK enters a new era of government, we take a look back at a podcast on rivals. Is rivalry just an extension of competition and is it actually good for us to have a rival? Why do we often need rivals to propel us into action? ------------- We discuss whether rivalries spur us on to ever greater achievements or distract us with unnecessary competition. Is a nemesis necessary in order to define our success, or do they simply lure us to the edge of the Reichenbach Falls? Join us as we plunge headlong into the debate. In this podcast we examine the impact of national and ideological rivalries, attempting to determine whether fierce competition with an outside agency makes societies more or less productive. We look at historical case studies such as the Cold War, but also investigate the influence of personal rivalries on individual achievements, asking whether bearing a grudge really makes a difference. A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - Gallup’s favourability ratings https://news.gallup.com/poll/1624/perceptions-foreign-countries.aspx - ‘Rivalries can improve individual athletic performance’ https://psychcentral.com/news/2014/07/04/rivalries-improve-individual-athletic-performance/72073.html#:~:text=New%20research%20looks%20at%20the,increase%20performance%20levels%20among%20players - Measuring political rivalry and estimating its effect on economic growth https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315489692_Measuring_political_rivalry_and_estimating_its_effect_on_economic_growth - Melman: ‘The United States has been transformed into a second-rate industrial economy’ by the arms race. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1818097?seq=1 Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com