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Chris Conte
Ms. Parent
AP Language and Composition
3 April 2014
The Curse of Competition
Imagine a world without competition, no winners or losers. Would anyone be motivated
to work? To some, this sounds ideal, but competition is an essential component to any social
structure. When we talk about sports, academics, or the business world, competition is the
driving force that keeps us functioning at our best. Competition, in healthy amounts, is known to
have several positive effects on children. Competition allows children to learn about their
abilities and limitations, set goals, handle loss, and how to work with others. The lessons that
children learn through competition stay with them throughout their lives and prove to be
beneficial in academics and the workplace.
However, the world is quickly turning its back on the importance of competition. From
schools eliminating the Valedictorian Award to the everyone is a winner motto used in most
youth sports leagues, the diminishing value of competition in todays world is evident. Some
critics suggest that children should not be placed in scenarios that involve competition, as they
signal out those who are more intelligent or more athletic than the rest. Critics feel eliminating
competition will preserve confidence in youth, which also is essential to a childs growth.
Although the preservation of confidence is important in the development of children, the value of
competition cannot be diminished in the process.
The benefits of competition may be most blatantly explained through the development of
America. In the wake of World War II, the United States found itself in a struggle with the Soviet

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Union, competing as the two superpowers in the world. The two countries vied for domination
over the worlds beliefs as well as their economic policies. The ensuing battle would last for
nearly fifty years. Over these years, both countries would make considerable advancements in
technology and science.
Nothing captures the spirit of this competition quite like the Space Race. When
looking at the archives of United States History, the Space Race is the term used to describe the
brutal battle between the Soviet Union and the United States to explore space. In the Space
Race, the two superpowers competed with one another for supremacy in spaceflight capability.
In 1957, the Soviets launched a satellite, Sputnik I, into space. The launch of Sputnik is known
to have sparked many of the developments in politics, science, technology, and military.
Furthermore, the launch served to intensify the arms race and raise Cold War tensions (The
Launch of Sputnik). The innate sense of competition within the United States led to the moon
landing in 1969. Had either the Soviet Union or the United States stood alone atop the world,
advancements like these would not have been made. Although they were bitter enemies, the
United States has the Soviet Union to thank for their propulsion into the worlds greatest super
power. The pressure that the Soviets applied during the late twentieth century prevented the
United States from sitting back and basking in their own glory of international supremacy.
Even the economic policies of the United States are founded upon the ideas of
competition. In a capitalistic market, where all businesses are privately owned and regulated,
competition is essential. With so many competitors, each company is pressured to maintain a
high-quality product that the public will choose over competing products. A dynamic like this is
in the best interest of the general public (Capitalism). Competition is responsible for highquality products at a reasonable price. On the other hand, if there is only one company that

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distributes a product, then they have no need to produce it at the standard that the public is
accustomed to today. Furthermore, this company can charge their customers absurd prices for
this lesser product. The ideas of competition are important cogs in the machine of economics.
Although it usually takes place on a much smaller scale, this competitive dynamic exists
in most social scenarios. From trying to win a gold medal, to students trying to earn a better
grade than their friends, competition keeps everyone at their best. In reference to Social
Darwinism, those who are least adept to live will falter while the strong prosper. The weak are
presented with two choices: They can better themselves or they will be left in the dust. Social
Darwinism is the idea that humans compete with each other for status, mates, and resources
(Price). Competition even plays a role in the world of videogames. In fact, a competitive Super
Smash Brothers player, Chris Fabiszak, wrote a book on his experiences as a competitive video
game player. He shares his view on how a competitive nature affected him as a gamer:
I think it was the taste of failure that really set me off, but I also became
immediately interested in this subculture that I never knew existed; after that
tournament I went home to find another. I started to practice. I would go to
another tournament, do just a little bit better, and get motivated all over again. A
competitive spirit inside of me had been stirred and there was no going back. (qtd.
in Fabiszak)
In many competitive scenarios, the individuals involved are not even aware that they are
competing with one another. This may be explained by the fact that competition is an innate
quality present in man that cannot be ignored. Many scholars agree that competition is ingrained
within human nature (Richtel). From a young age, children compete with each other constantly.
At home, children compete with each other in the games they play as well as for the attention of

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their parents. In school, they compete for the best grades, teachers attention, and even for
friends. Then as adults they compete for the biggest home, best cars, and most money. Life is
competition (OBrien). If not for competition, students would have no problem with a C grade
and adults would be content with the bare necessities for survival. Some critics argue that a
world such as this would actually be beneficial. Ideologically, they may be right, in some
regards at least. However, does this world without competition sound familiar? If it does not, it
most definitely should. A world without competition seems Orwellian. In 1984, the government
of Oceania eliminated the sense of competition within their citizens. Despite leading sad and
lonely lives, most citizens were content because they did not know of anything better. Worst of
all, the efforts of those who tried to make a difference proved to be futile. A world without
competition cannot function.
Some experts suggest that competition helps children, but only for certain age groups. In
truth, they are correct. These experts say that children who become involved with competition
too early may be impressionable and learn to think that winning should be placed above all else
(Statsky). Young children do not typically handle defeat with grace. Some children cry and break
down when faced with the adversity of defeat. Furthermore, their lack of understanding of
competition prohibits them from improving their skills in whatever task they may be dealing
with (Statsky). However, this stage of their life does not last long. By the age of nine, children
learn the dynamics of competition and begin to thrive under those conditions. Older children
understand what it means to win, lose, and compete (Johnson). During their teenage years,
children begin to better themselves and try to be the best in the name of competition. James
Twigg, the coach of the Macomb Community College Basketball team, stresses these beliefs. He
argues that there is a fine line when it comes to the age of the children involved. In his

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experiences, he has found that winning should not be placed above the development of the
players unless they are playing at the varsity level. When considering competition, it is crucial to
consider the maturity of the child.
A common argument against competition says that it demoralizes those who fail. In most
cases, competition produces far more losers than winners. Obviously, circumstances like these
will lead to self-doubt in at least some individuals (Kohn). Children are told that good is not
good enough and triumph over others is more important. Ideas like these create a vicious
cycle, even for the winner. The more competition they are exposed to, the greater the need to be
the best in order to satisfy their hunger (Kohn). These critics fail to understand that this
vicious cycle is what is best for children. Obviously, no one can reach perfection in whatever
field they may be involved in. However, in striving to be the best, competitors push each other
towards true perfection. This phenomena explains why new world records are set every year. To
say it more eloquently, perfection is an unobtainable ideal, but the journey towards perfection is
what matters (Ginn). In fact, there are scholars who say that loss and defeat is necessary in the
development of a child. When a child is told that they have been doing a good job, even when
they have not, the child continues to underachieve (Merryman). The paradoxical beauty of
competition is that everyone wins, even when they lose.
When someone is exposed to too little competition, they are left in the dust; when
exposed to too much, the intentions to better them self may backfire. For this reason, competition
must be dealt with in moderation. Overall, the key to a healthy competitive dynamic, in most any
circumstance, is a healthy balance. Furthermore, all competitors involved must maintain a
healthy balance. A healthy balance ensures that a competitors own over exertion does not lead to

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their downfall (Patterson). When all competitors manage this balance, competition becomes a
productive practice for all involved.
High school students are also affected by competition. The innate competitive nature
present within is why some go the extra mile in their classes to earn an A+ rather than an A.
Intelligence is one thing, but the pursuit of being the best is another. Without competition
amongst other students, many would still earn high marks in classes, but their thirst for
knowledge might be diminished. Others may feel that discontent with what is considered to be a
passing grade, is foolish, and truthfully, it is, but what are the consequences of a competitive
nature? These consequences include earning better grades as well as broadening their horizons
for the future. Clearly, the curse of competition is a farce. The fact is, in a variety of aspects of
life, competition plays a role. Most importantly, competition keeps all competitors at their best.
As long as there is competition, the world will continue to grow and change for the better.
Despite potential downfalls, competition is essential in the world today.

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Works Cited
Cynthia, Johnson E. "Children & Competition." Child Development 1 (1993): 2-3. Web.
9 Mar. 2014.
Fabiszak, Chris. "Beginnings." Team Ben: A Year as a Professional Gamer. N.p., n.d. 7. Web.
12 Mar. 2014.
Ginn, Phillip. "Competition and Success." N.p., Web. 15 Mar. 2014.
Kohn, Alfie. "The Case Against Competition." Alfie Kohn Homepage. N.p., n.d. Web.
24 Mar. 2014.
"The Launch of Sputnik, 1957." U.S. Department of State. Bureau of Public Affairs, n.d. Web.
23 Mar. 2014.
Merryman, Ashley. "Losing is Good for You." New York Times 24 Sept. 2013: A29. Print.
O'Brien, Allison. "Competitive Nature and Endorphins: How Do They Effect Us?"
Examiner.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
Patterson, Kort E. "The Dynamics of Competition." Welcome To Kort Explores. N.p., 23 2014.
Web. 2 Apr. 2014.
Price, Michael. "From Darwin to Eternity." Psychology Today 15 Jan. 2014: n. pag. Web.
1 Apr. 2014.
Price, Michael. "From Darwin to Eternity." Psychology Today 15 Jan. 2014: n. pag. Print.
Richtel, Matt. "The Competing Views on Competition." New York Times 11 Oct. 2012: D1. Print.
Statskey, Jessica. "Children Need to Play, Not Compete." College of the Redwoods. N.p., n.d.
Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
Twigg, James. Personal interview. 1 Apr. 2014.