First of all, let me mention one more time that the reason I have an issue with competition is not that I have anything against achieving something. It's that I don't like having to run against that someone or something in order to make that achievement. I would rather run with them, if that makes sense. So in continuation of my last post, I will address these three questions I mentioned.
What about standing up for yourself? First of all, you don't need to compete with anyone to be able to make a stand. The only thing you need is a firm stand to take. If you find yourself in a situation where you are forced to have to defend yourself, it is entirely possible to do it respectfully and confidently without competition. Competition and confidence are entirely different things. I may not be naturally aggressive, but I can honestly say that when it counts, even us non-aggressive types have the capability of being quite fierce. Don't mistake us for wimps.What's wrong with using competition for better performance? Nothing. It may work for you. I don't really condemn it entirely, because I know in observing people that for some personalities, it drives and motivates them, but it doesn't work for me. I'm the type of person who, as she is walking or running, looks for the stop sign three streets away and aims for that as her target point, so my eyes are more focused on that goal rather than against the person who may be walking or running with me. It's a matter of perspective difference.
What's wrong with it? It's fun! Yeah. Glad you're having fun with it. That's not my version of fun, but yet my idea of fun can be a little weird sometimes. I never liked rivalries in sports. I watch other people tease each other and make silly bets (like someone having to sing the other team's song if they lose), but again, it's the spirit of one thinking it has to be better than the other. Where I live, there is a big rivalry between two universities, and I was a student in one of them, but I never liked the fact that so many fans took the rivalry off the field and made derogatory comments about people who went to the other school. I've had people say things to me before, but because I don't see the fun in it, that effort died quickly. Frankly said, I don't like it when competition drives you to be rude to your fellow humans. I don't care what side it is, all of them have something worth respecting. It happens in high school also, and as I was growing up, both my high school and our biggest rivals had incidents of vandalism. This is the part of competition I absolutely do not approve. The most competitive I might get would be a card game with Face Cards, Rook, Uno, or Phase 10 (those were my favorites). They require quiet mental strategy, and even though someone had to be a winner in the end, I didn't feel like I had to step over anyone in order to do it.
