One of my longer posts, it might be similar to an essay. The subject is so broad and branches off into so many topics that I could probably ramble on for pages, for now I’ll just ramble on for a couple paragraphs. If you manage to read it in its entirety please comment on areas of improvement.
Competition. It's everywhere. It’s seen in offices, in classrooms and even in playgrounds. Many people believe competition to be a major factor that helped shape the advanced society we have today. I completely agree with that. If there was no competition then would we ever have better technology, better lifestyles, or better standards? No, I don’t think so. But is competition getting a little too extreme, especially on the education level? Yes, I think so.
Whenever anything is done and all the requirements checked off, there’s always one last thing, something that can never be fulfilled perfectly. That requirement is to do better. For instance, take a school project. You have done all the criteria, checked the teacher’s grading rubric, made sure everything’s in order, what’s missing? Suddenly a thought comes into your mind. What if everyone else is doing the same exact thing? I want to be original, I want the teacher to like mine the best. The project would already receive a 100% just the way it is, but that one last requirement is missing. Once you perfect an already perfect project, it’s time to turn it in. You walk into the classroom, proud of all your extra efforts, the countless hours you’ve spent; proud of the feeling of just knowing yours’ is going to be the best. Suddenly, you stop dead in your tracks. You come out of your self-confident bubble and look around you. Gape in awe at the amazing works of others. Suddenly that bubble, the one that contained confidence, reassurance, pride, pops, and is transformed into a bubble of longing to have done better, despair, and disappointment.
Many of us can agree to this feeling, the one where we put out ‘life and soul into something, whether it’s when we do a spectacular project, accomplish an unbelievable goal in sports, or even work hard get an expensive new cell phone. Pride and confidence turned into despair and disappointment. Thinking you have the best when someone out there has better. It could just be high standards set by you or maybe the high standards set by society itself. According to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, it is human nature to compete, but all competition should have limits right? No competition should cause someone to lose their self-esteem or lose value in them self.
This is just one simple example of what competition causes. It could be in sports, school, clothes, cell phones, anything. We are now living in a society completely absorbed by competition, good and bad. I hope we can keep the competition that motivates us to do better and get rid of the competition that demotes us and causes us to feel nowhere near perfection. As for now, I guess I’ll have to keep up with this ever changing world of striving to do better.
2 comments:
I see competition as one of those "big picture" things.
If a hundred people all want to be the best, ninety-nine will be disappointed. So is the goal of competition really to turn out on top?
It's to aim for the top, and see yourself being carried on to levels of accomplishment you didn't before deem possible. "A high tide lifts all boats," they say.
But the important thing is to stop focusing on how much better everyone else seems to be. Instead, consider how much further you've come yourself, and you'll have a hard time not feeling proud.
hi sabrina, i've decided to post to each and every one of your blogs because that's just the kind of person that i am.
laid back. will only try when it's something i like. will kill to win-if it's something i like!
and i think you know just what i'm talking about... :)
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