Competitiveness

Giggly · 07-29-2008, 03:23 PM

The recent addition of the Most Awesome Arcade here has prompted me to ponder the concept of competitiveness. What makes people so competitive with each other? What is the root cause of it? What do you gain? And do you think men and women enjoy competing against each other, or do they prefer to compete with their same gender? Are you competitive?

ThatGirl · 07-29-2008, 03:45 PM

I'm not competitive in a win or loose sense but I do like to push myself to better standards by evalutating myself against others. If you can do it how did you do it and is it something I can do, type of thing.

nolla · 07-29-2008, 04:03 PM

I guess it has something to do with most men being "hunters" by their nature. But, in that case women should be nurturers. I believe that while feminism made progress by having women think themselves equal, it partially failed by making women act like men (which is requirement for success in a male dominated world). This makes women more competitive also, and twists them into something they are not supposed to be.

Myself, I am not competitive at all, never been. I think its because competitiveness is more of an extrovert thing. Only thing that keeps me motivated is the result of the work I do, and maybe achieving something that I couldn't do before.

Night · 07-29-2008, 04:10 PM

I'm not very competitive with others.

I tend to pour intensity into my inner psychological "sanctum". I set goals within myself and regiment my lifestyle/work habits to accomplish my desired end.

Sometimes fleshing-out the ideal requires additional craftsmanship - I find that it's important to have an ever-evolving blueprint available. The maturation of which grants greater clarity into one's true goal (sometimes hidden from immediate view).

Edahn · 07-29-2008, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hmm

The recent addition of the Most Awesome Arcade here has prompted me to ponder the concept of competitiveness. What makes people so competitive with each other? What is the root cause of it? What do you gain? And do you think men and women enjoy competing against each other, or do they prefer to compete with their same gender? Are you competitive?

It's genetic. We're wired to compete with each other for everything: people, food, resources, attention. I'm pretty competitive when I have a chance.

Night · 07-29-2008, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edahn

It's genetic. We're wired to compete with each other for everything: people, food, resources, attention. I'm pretty competitive when I have a chance.

Edahn makes a great point.

Within our competitive nature, we also find hardwired a superabundant urge to pool our resources, as to hedge the probability of our shared genetic code to thrive.

Accommodation and competition are shades of the same conversation.

MetalWounds · 07-29-2008, 04:23 PM

I find that a bit of healthy competition with females is very attractive.

Giggly · 07-29-2008, 04:25 PM

I think competitiveness is natural but I must ask these things to understand....

Just because it's natural does that mean that we should exercise it? Why are some forms of competitiveness okay and others are not (like World War from example)?

pure_mercury · 07-29-2008, 04:26 PM

I like to know that I am pushed to improve my performance in various aspects of life. Also, especially for us males, (friendly) competition can teach how to assert yourself, whilst still following "the rules of the game," and how to be gracious in both victory and defeat. Team competition is great at forming bonds of camaraderie with your teammates, as well.

GZA · 07-29-2008, 04:31 PM

I'm not competitive with other people. I once had a very long conversation/discussion/argument about competition with a very competitive guy I sat beside in grade 9 science. He said, as ThatGirl said, that he can only measure his own success and can only push himself by trying to better another person. I said that I only measure against myself, and that before I can be better than someone who is better than myself I have to be better than myself in the first place, so I just focus on that. Most of the stuff i like to do you couldn't really compete in anyway (i.e. music... it's pretty difficult to measure if someone is better or makes better music unless they learn in the exact same way in the same amount of time and play the same style).

07-29-2008, 03:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
Giggly Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Type: ISFj Location: California Posts: 2,718	Competitiveness The recent addition of the Most Awesome Arcade here has prompted me to ponder the concept of competitiveness. What makes people so competitive with each other? What is the root cause of it? What do you gain? And do you think men and women enjoy competing against each other, or do they prefer to compete with their same gender? Are you competitive?

07-29-2008, 04:23 PM	#7 (permalink)
MetalWounds More human than human Join Date: Jan 2008 Type: ENTP Posts: 677	I find that a bit of healthy competition with females is very attractive. __________________ The fastest reload is another gun.

07-29-2008, 04:26 PM	#9 (permalink)
pure_mercury Order Now! Join Date: Feb 2008 Type: ESFJ Location: Hollywood Posts: 4,598	I like to know that I am pushed to improve my performance in various aspects of life. Also, especially for us males, (friendly) competition can teach how to assert yourself, whilst still following "the rules of the game," and how to be gracious in both victory and defeat. Team competition is great at forming bonds of camaraderie with your teammates, as well. __________________ Who wants to try a bottle of merc's "Extroversion Olive Oil?"

07-29-2008, 04:31 PM	#10 (permalink)
GZA Resident Snot-Nose Join Date: Aug 2007 Type: infp Location: Slums of Shaolin Posts: 1,620	I'm not competitive with other people. I once had a very long conversation/discussion/argument about competition with a very competitive guy I sat beside in grade 9 science. He said, as ThatGirl said, that he can only measure his own success and can only push himself by trying to better another person. I said that I only measure against myself, and that before I can be better than someone who is better than myself I have to be better than myself in the first place, so I just focus on that. Most of the stuff i like to do you couldn't really compete in anyway (i.e. music... it's pretty difficult to measure if someone is better or makes better music unless they learn in the exact same way in the same amount of time and play the same style). __________________

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07-29-2008, 03:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
ThatGirl #5 Join Date: Jun 2008 Type: ENTP Posts: 1,849	I'm not competitive in a win or loose sense but I do like to push myself to better standards by evalutating myself against others. If you can do it how did you do it and is it something I can do, type of thing.

07-29-2008, 04:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
nolla Señor Membrane Join Date: May 2008 Type: INFP Location: Finland Posts: 1,397	I guess it has something to do with most men being "hunters" by their nature. But, in that case women should be nurturers. I believe that while feminism made progress by having women think themselves equal, it partially failed by making women act like men (which is requirement for success in a male dominated world). This makes women more competitive also, and twists them into something they are not supposed to be. Myself, I am not competitive at all, never been. I think its because competitiveness is more of an extrovert thing. Only thing that keeps me motivated is the result of the work I do, and maybe achieving something that I couldn't do before.

07-29-2008, 04:10 PM	#4 (permalink)
Night Focused Join Date: Nov 2007 Type: INTJ Posts: 3,098	I'm not very competitive with others. I tend to pour intensity into my inner psychological "sanctum". I set goals within myself and regiment my lifestyle/work habits to accomplish my desired end. Sometimes fleshing-out the ideal requires additional craftsmanship - I find that it's important to have an ever-evolving blueprint available. The maturation of which grants greater clarity into one's true goal (sometimes hidden from immediate view).

07-29-2008, 04:25 PM	#8 (permalink)
Giggly Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Type: ISFj Location: California Posts: 2,718	I think competitiveness is natural but I must ask these things to understand.... Just because it's natural does that mean that we should exercise it? Why are some forms of competitiveness okay and others are not (like World War from example)?