How life could be great…
The birth of mankind simultaneously injects the competitive nature to man. Even back to Ice Age, Homo Sapiens competed for survival. Though we are no longer killing each other for food, we are still competing for other things – food, water, oil, wealth, occupation, status and et cetera.
As we become more educated, our areas for competing increase. It is interesting to note that different age groups compete for different things. Youngsters compete among each other intellectually and physically while adults basically compete for power, reputation & assets.
You would definitely have vied the listed areas before. It certainly seems that contending among friends, neighbors, acquaintances and colleagues has become a culture, a deadly one. However, have you ever wondered why people compete/compare/flaunt their strengths while run away when their weaknesses are poured out one by one?
Psychologically speaking, one derives a sense of achievements and definitely boosts one’s ego AT THE EXPENSE of others’ confidence and morale (Does it remind you of yourself or someone doing that?). Similarly, they would be embarrassed when their flaws or imperfections are read out like a list of criminal charges one by one.
Why are we always competing? Do we have to stoop to such a low and despicable level to glorify ourselves by putting others down?
Rationally speaking, there is no need to be in competing mode at all times. Though competing would spur improvements and motivation to better our current selves, over-competing would only harm yourself. Pressure, an accompanying product of competition can benefit or demolish you. This double edged sword can achieve the desired outcomes only if it is at the appropriate amount. Exceeding this volume would only turn the sword towards yourself.
Reports on the recent death of NTU student – Mr David Hartanto Widjaja, pin-pointed the termination of scholarship as the triggering factor. No doubt great people including scholars like him place great pressure on themselves, forcing themselves to succeed. However, as mentioned above, over-pressure, if mis-handled, would jeopardise oneself and cause misery to loved ones.
So what can we do to overcome our eagerness to triumph against others?
Rather than competing with others, we can just compete with ourself. As long as we put in our best effort, I do not see any reason to blame ourself regardless of the outcome. Hence, the problem of over-pressured would not devour you. Everyone has their strengths and limits. We may not excel in certain areas but we could be a genius at other fields which we have yet to discover. No one is perfect. No one can be a genius at all disciplines.
“We can STRIVE towards perfection ONLY if it is within our limits. Everything has a limit. This limit would shift accordingly to factors like time, skills and etc. We cannot rush to cross this limit. Crossing this limit (at the inapproriate time) would hinder our road to excellence and may deny us a chance from completing such roads again.” – Tan Yoke Chang
this inherent competitive nature though, is what has made us, technically and perennially, sit at the top of the food chain. this alone, i think, would point to the fact that it is near impossible for the common man to escape his evolutionary past; to not act based on experienced circumstances that envelope him from the moment he physically enters this world. we are all scored, measured and tested from young, being put up to a standard against which a productive member of society is measured.
the upside, i would think, is that this convolution breeds the artist in all of us; the half of our heart that turns to self-expression and the simple act of creation to find refuge, where the only thing that prevents one from creating something out of nothing is our very own being.
its probably in my mind, the great balancing factor to the somewhat saddening madness that we will all have and perhaps had to go through to get to this stage in our lives.
nice post!
By: redwanorama on March 30, 2009
at 12:43 pm
Competition brings out the best in us. only weaklings cant take the pressure. Hav you heard of the phrase – survival of the fittest? self-explanatory
By: Lenna on April 2, 2009
at 5:51 am
Competition is needed 2 bring up 2 gr3at3r h3ights but like what u typed, we should koe our limits.
But we cant do without competition also.
thats my stand
By: ben on April 4, 2009
at 11:59 am