“Get out of the pack and go around the competition.”
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I once watched an Olympic event, short-track ice skating. One particular skater was the favorite. According to the TV announcers, none of the other five skaters in the race even wanted to win. Their individual ranks would rise substantially, as long as she lost to all of them. So, their unified goal, even if it meant losing themselves, was to make sure she came in dead-last.
The race started. All the skaters clumped together, surrounding the favorite. It looked like Roller Derby. They elbowed, and pushed, and shoved, reaching out, some using arms as levers, others locking arms together barrier-like; and gradually maneuvered her to the rear of the pack.
The best route a skater can take in such a race is the inside lane, because it’s the shortest, therefore the fastest. To make their plan work, the gang concentrated all attention on the inner half of the course. They stayed that way, constantly checking over their collective shoulders to make sure she would never wedge inside or move up. It worked so well, she appeared to give up. READ MORE
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