Success without competition?

[Gaze]

Can we have success without competition?

Our world is governed by competition. We live with it and engage in it everyday, as a matter of drive, ambition, and desire for success. However, there are pros and cons to competitiveness?

1) Do you think competition is necessary for success?

2) Do you think a society can survive or thrive without competition as a basis for achieving prosperity or happiness?

3) Are there real pros and cons of extreme competitiveness, and if so, what do you think they are?

 

[Free]

1) Do you think competition is necessary for success?

Short answer, no.

But there are those that thrive in competition against others, to be the best, to be the bestest of the best!! Squash all others who even dare to try in my wake and leave everyone in awe of my bestness!!!

And there are those that have a drive that comes from within, to be the best that you can be for the satisfaction of knowing that you've given your all. In competition with yourself.

2) Do you think a society can survive or thrive without competition as a basis for achieving prosperity or happiness?

This is more complicated for me. I want to say yes, but I know the answer is no. It could never work unless we all have the same thought patterns and exist in a hive-like mental state of being with the same exact goals. That would ultimately strip away what the very basis of individuality is. As long as we have free thought, free will, and the freedom to express these, everyone will act as their conscious dictates. Those that love competition with others, those that compete with themselves, and even those that are somewhere in middle or not competitive at all, will continue to do so as individuals.

3) Are there real pros and cons of extreme competitiveness, and if so, what do you think they are?

I think anything in extreme comes with high rewards and high risks.

A high reward could be that you excel at your craft and in turn become the go to person, amass a fortune for yourself, retire early and live the rest of your life surrounded by comfort.

A risk could be that you've finally made it to the top, only to be replaced by someone younger, hungrier, and more competitive. That you've given up everything and everyone on along your way and now you are left completely alone surrounded by those that would throw you under the bus the first moment they get.

There are countless rewards and risks, and all are just a matter of personal perspective.

 

[Zen]

Can we have success without competition?

Our world is governed by competition. We live with it and engage in it everyday, as a matter of drive, ambition, and desire for success. However, there are pros and cons to competitiveness?

1) Do you think competition is necessary for success?

No I do not. I work for a cooperative and I am proud of this. Values can change. It takes a couple of generations. It is all about our values and our focus.
Today there are winners and losers. Me, myself and I types. Judgement and than some. Why? Because parents encourage it. Because society encourage's it!

2) Do you think a society can survive or thrive without competition as a basis for achieving prosperity or happiness?

Society can thrive without competition.Just watch Star Trek. Be the best that you can be at the expense of no one.

3) Are there real pros and cons of extreme competitiveness, and if so, what do you think they are?

Some will thrive on competition but most will be left behind. What a rich world it would be if we can all thrive and prosper.

"Om Mani Padme Hum"

 

[Ryso89]

I think success is a definition specific to the individual. What is important to you, and what are your goals? (rhetorical)

For me, success is overcoming something or achieving something I've set out to achieve.

 

[Asa]

1) Do you think competition is necessary for success?

No.
There are many professions (teaching, theology/religion, the medical field, the arts, the trades, the culinary field to name a few) where competition is not necessary for success. Your work will speak for you.
-- Chef competitions are popular on TV, but in reality, a chef's notoriety is earned by skill.

In some professions, where teamwork is most important, being competitive could actually harm your career.

You must have a desire and the 'drive' to grow and become better at what you do - to become more skilled, and/or more helpful - to succeed and grow as a person, though.

2) Do you think a society can survive or thrive without competition as a basis for achieving prosperity or happiness?

Yes.

3) Are there real pros and cons of extreme competitiveness, and if so, what do you think they are?

Some people thrive on competitiveness, others wilt under it. Healthy competition is good for those who grow from it.
The only areas I can think of where 'extreme' competitiveness are helpful are sports and being a lawyer.

 

[sassafras]

1) Do you think competition is necessary for success?

It depends on how you define success. Some people define success by becoming number one in some capacity, which naturally requires competition. How do you know you're number one if you don't compete?

Others define success by how happy they feel and happiness certainly doesn't have to involve competition. In many respects, happiness is the opposite-- it's complacence and satisfaction with what it is that you have.

It depends.

2) Do you think a society can survive or thrive without competition as a basis for achieving prosperity or happiness?

Probably not, because resources are rare and the majority of people are lazy and operate under an external locus of control. The easiest way to motivate a man (or woman) is threaten them with having something taken away. Otherwise, most people become sluggish and complacent. Competition is what ignites our drive for survival.

3) Are there real pros and cons of extreme competitiveness, and if so, what do you think they are?

Extreme competitiveness? I guess the pro is that it motivates people to really push themselves and aggressively grow beyond their boundaries. The con is, it's a difficult mindset to give up. Everything is a contest, there are winners and losers. Your self-worth is dependent on how you are assessed in relation to others and frankly, people like that are exhausting.

 

[Faye]

1. No, cooperation works in many situations. It just depends on the circumstances, and people who are in a competitive environment are usually reluctant to change them because they are already in a competitive mindset.

2. Societies were not competitive for most of human history: band level hunter-gatherers live very differently from how we do. As for our current society, I think that it is possible but pretty much never going to happen given human psychology. People just are not selfish enough in my opinion. If they were more selfish, they would pay more attention to how resources are allocated and be more involved in the political process, which would radically change how we operate. People would not be so easily duped by the media and politicians if they were striving to maximize their utility.

3. Most social problems as well as environmental problems. The first thing capitalism did was to do away with the commons (i.e. by criminalizing the gathering of firewood by peasants), so restoring a commons and maintaining it would save the environment. We would not have military geared police attacking peaceful protesters over an oil pipeline.

 

[Flavus Aquila]

Winning, or coming first is success. It's not the only type of success, but often it's the most gratifying. Every grand final, trophy, or gold medal is a testament to participation being the lesser goal. Even much of our technology is the fruit of competition. Just imagine where computing would be without both Microsoft and Apple in the mix together. Democracy could not exist and there would be no rhyme or reason to commerce, even at the retail level.

If the entertainment industry wasn't competitive there would be nothing like the quality and variety of music, art, movies/tv, we have now.

Life without competition would suck big time with no fun and little aspiration, or sense of better.

 

[Elis]

No I don't think so. I think we have a skewed way of thinking of what success is, but a lot of it (success in today's society) is

 

[MrSquared]

Can we have success without competition?

Absolutely. With luck, patience, practice, persistence, desire, and some natural ability... You can be successful at even self-set goals.

1) Do you think competition is necessary for success?

Not necessarily. A person can be quite successful on their own due to some other motivation.

2) Do you think a society can survive or thrive without competition as a basis for achieving prosperity or happiness?
I'm not sure... But I don't really care to speculate on this one. It kind of is-what-it-is in my mind.

3) Are there real pros and cons of extreme competitiveness, and if so, what do you think they are?[/QUOTE]
Oh my... There are far too many of both to list here.