Athena vs Ares
How quickly do you respond to something or someone that angers you?
If it’s less 5 seconds, don’t get mad, but you’re an Ares.
There are two Greek divinities of war. Ares, the god of war, who’s main function is to facilitate war and cause as much destruction as possible through shear wrath, and Athena, the goddess of war and strategy, who achieves her goals with calculated action and cunning. Ares’ response to any slight would be death and destruction without a second thought (definitely less than 5 seconds), while Athena instead contrives intricate plans.
In Greek mythology, Ares and Athena square off several times and Athena always prevails. However, the best comparison between these two philosophies does not come from two opposing forces, but two heroes fighting on the same side. The epic poem the Iliad shares the story of the Trojan war, a legendary conflict between the forces of Greece and Troy. There were many great heroes fighting for both countries, but we will focus on two Greeks, Achilles and Odysseus (we’re going to go back to school for a minute but hang on, it’s worth it).
Achilles was arguably the greatest warrior in Greek mythology; he was a superbly gifted killer and nearly invincible in battle. Achilles was a wonderful asset to the Grecian war effort, but bloodlust alone was not enough to defeat the Trojans. The city of Troy was famous for its impenetrable walls, and the fury of Achilles was unable to breach them.
Odysseus was without a doubt the most brilliant strategist in Greek mythology. He preferred calculated maneuvering to rash action. Odysseus saw the Trojan walls not as something that must be broken, but as something that could be avoided. Odysseus knew the Trojans had a deep respect for all the gods that could be exploited. After a period of plotting Odysseus begins creating his Trojan trap. Odysseus faked a retreat of the entire Grecian army, attempting to convince the Trojans that their walls had bested them. Odysseus constructed a massive “offering” to the gods for safe travel home. This offering was what you probably know as the Trojan horse. As Odysseus predicted, the Trojans immediately brought it in to the inner gates to their most sacred temple, and I think you know the rest. Spoiler alert: it was not an offering to the gods and the Greeks won the war.
Achilles was perhaps the most powerful follower of Ares; he was an unrivaled warrior that killed with ease. Odysseus was indisputably the greatest champion of Athena; his calculated strategy proved invaluable on countless occasions. Despite the legendary killings of Achilles, the Trojan war was not won through blood and rage; the city of Troy fell because the Greeks had Athena on their side.
When I first began learning the difference between the Athena and Ares mindset, I was presented with a perfect opportunity to test my new conflict strategies (My response wasn’t ideal, but it was an improvement).
A couple of semesters ago I was enrolled in a graduate class that met only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. About two weeks into the course the overzealous TA informed us that we would have to attend a mandatory lab section on Friday afternoons for undergraduates (I was not thrilled with this revelation). After receiving a zero on the first lab for not attending a class that was not on my schedule, I decided to have a civil discussion/confrontation with the all-powerful TA. I politely informed him that “he could absolutely not command me to attend a Friday afternoon lab section that I didn’t enroll in”, to which he politely replied that he “could absolutely command me to do whatever he wanted”. It was at this point in the discussion that I began to feel the Ares crawl through my veins.
However, I took a deep breath and walked away. Just to be clear the Athena mindset is not about shying away from conflict, its about selecting important battles and winning them through calculated strategy. I decided to meet with the professor and have an (actual) civil discussion about the lab issue. Unfortunately, the professor shared the TA’s dictator-like viewpoint. This time I felt only Athena coursing through my veins as I immediately met with the head of the department and kindly informed him that there was an illegal forced lab section occurring on Friday afternoons (and that was the end of that).
From personal experience I can absolutely attest to the fact that it can be extremely difficult to resist the Ares reaction, but I promise you that will not get you nearly as far as Athena will. Also, I cannot put into words the satisfaction I feel every time I walk pass “TA power trip” and see the look of confusion and disgust on his face when I give him the brightest and sincerest of smiles.
Athena over Ares is helpful everywhere, including athletic competition. Regardless of what sport someone is playing is it never beneficial to play Ares-angry. Athena-composure is crucial for effective high-level performance. However, in the heat of competition emotions can run incredibly hot, and something as minor as a bad call from a ref can initiate an absolute meltdown. This is probably the easiest moment to unleash Ares. No matter how good it feels to scream at a ref it will gain you absolutely nothing in the long run (if anything it will make the ref dislike you, which is not helpful when the ref has to make a tough call later in the match). Being Athena can be unbelievably helpful in this situation. Plus Ares overreacting can make you look like an absolute psychopath.
In any conflict there is evidence of Ares everywhere, whether it’s a customer yelling at a retail store employee or an actual military battle. Ares is constantly poisoning our minds, sparking unnecessary conflict that hinder us from achieving our goals. The most difficult thing to do in a heated situation is to take a breath and think about our next move. Most conflicts are unnecessary and completely avoidable. Do you want to win, or do you want to succeed? Ares may ‘win’ in the moment, but the victory is shallow, and the cost is greater than what you saw in your less than 5 seconds of planning. Ares is a very short-term way of thinking, but you can’t live on a shear adrenaline rush and be successful. The Athena mentality focuses on the long term.
The Next time conflict occurs in your life, take a deep breath and decide if this is a battle that you need to win.
If it isn’t, simply walk away (most conflicts you will find fall into this category). If it is a battle that you feel must be fought, quietly begin plotting and when you are ready, launch a swift attack maneuver. Whether you’re destroying the city of Troy or just a Friday afternoon lab, Athena offers the path to true victory,
