The phrase “sleeping with the enemy” refers to non-adversarial relationships between normally hostile parties, such as business deals, joint projects, and political maneuvering. It can involve cooperation for a common goal or gaining an advantage. Examples include working with someone you don’t like to achieve an important goal, or working with a business rival while secretly looking for weaknesses. Political cooperation can be met with suspicion and accusations of betrayal.
The phrase “sleeping with the enemy” is often used to describe a situation involving a non-adversarial relationship between two individuals or entities that would normally be hostile or adversarial. This often includes business deals between competitors, joint projects faced by enemies, and political maneuvering that requires the cooperation of competing parties. Sometimes, sleeping with the enemy involves cooperating just for the purpose of gaining inside information or gaining the upper hand in a competitive situation. In other situations, however, opposing parties may actually work together for the sake of a common goal.
In a personal situation, sleeping with the enemy could mean working with someone you don’t like to organize or accomplish something important. For example, if you share a friend with someone you don’t like, you might work with that person to plan your mutual friend’s birthday party. Similarly, you may be working with a neighbor you don’t like to make changes that are important to your neighborhood.
In a corporate environment, one may consider sleeping with the enemy to work cooperatively with a business rival. For example, one person might work with a business rival on a common project, while secretly looking for weaknesses and ways to overcome the other person. This type of situation can be very stressful for some, as hostilities may not be hidden very well. In other situations, business rivals may appear to get along and seem enthusiastic about working together. Instead, each person may seethe inside and feel unable to trust the other person.
On a political level, a politician may find it necessary to sleep with the enemy to achieve a particular government goal. In such a situation, a Democrat can join a Republican in working on a joint resolution. Often, this type of cooperation is met with suspicion by supporters of both sides, as each thinks the opposing side is planning to deceive or betray the other. A party may also be accused of trying to take credit for the hard work both parties put in. At times, viewers fear that the parties may seek to exert undue influence over each other’s political ideas and beliefs.
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