Competition is when two or more individuals or groups strive to achieve a common goal. This can be seen in sports, two people are on the pitch, one must win while the other loses, but people don't want to understand that it is a competition. Does anyone want to lose? In businesses, people go out of their way to publicize their businesses, even to the point of going to extremes, engaging in an unhealthy competition. However, the best competition is tagged personal growth, bringing out the best version of yourself. Competition can be healthy and unhealthy depending on how it is approached and managed.
Many years ago, I had a friend who saw the need to improve academically and compete with others came to ask for permission to be called our third friend. Sola and I are always the first in class. If Sola is first, I will be the second out of 100+ students. We don't struggle to compete because the brain is there.
So, Yinka came to join us, we taught her how to read, prepare better for any test or examination, and when the first term results came out, Yinka took the first position, it was like a dream to everyone in the class, even the teachers were surprised. We never knew she entered to compete with us, and when the second term came, we took it back seamlessly. The kind of motive Yink had was healthy, we cannot call it unhealthy because all she wanted was to discover the best version of herself.
Today, we see many young individuals bribing their way to the top because they are in competition with what's in the world. Some will even go out on a limb to do rituals to get rich quickly so that they can impress their mates. Some purchase things that are beyond their financial means and they end up in debt. Some borrow clothes to look good so that they can compete with others. Such can be tagged unhealthy.
Healthy competition may have positive effects on individuals, thereby supporting each other, celebrating small and big wins rather than becoming rivals to each other. Healthy competition can also reduce misunderstanding, frustrations, criticism, and stress. It enables individuals to learn from one another rather than feeling threatened.
Unhealthy competition creates a toxic environment filled with hatred and resentment. When the focus shifts from personal achievements to constant comparison with others or individuals feel the need to succeed at all costs, thereby leading to anxiety, burnout, and unethical or toxic behaviour such as bullying, manipulation, hostility, hate speech.
How do I find a balance?
In this world, I know and believe that I am not in competition with anyone. So, I will rather progress on learning rather than just winning, believing that failures and setbacks are part of the race that I must pass through to finish the race well.
This is my response to the #hivelearners community contest on edition one of the topic: Healthy Competition
The Image is mine.
Thank you🧡💕