rat

I think the fundamental flaw in the initial post is the "there is always a winner, there is always a loser." Taking things to the realm of business (the most competitive non-violent arena of head-to-head matchups), more companies have found that having an adversarial relationship with those with whom they do business is the surest way to fail. Those who are willing to embrace the principles of Carnegie, Stew Leonard, Carl Sewell and others, find that the more they have a personal partnership with their suppliers and customers, the more they succeed.

This is not to say that they do not compete for market share/dominance, but viewing every potential relationship as a "challenge" or "contest" is something the corporate cultures of these firms actively discourages. While at times the companies will incur mild financial losses, they come out ahead in the long run with repeat customers. While at times the customers pay more than they would at a competitor's store, they come out ahead with superior service and effective results.

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