Whoever says "everything isn't a competition" is wrong. Life is a great big tumultuous fiasco of a competition filled with numerous other competitions that face us humans every single day. Competition is not just a term reserved for athletes, mathletes, cook-offs, or reality shows. Getting a job is a competition. Applying to college is a competition. Finding a soulmate or even a one-night stand is a competition. Sure, you can say that no competitive bone exists in your body; however, as humans on this earth, we are all just players trying to make our way and win the convoluted game of life.
Competing in life is not limited to the big challenges listed above, but also daily routines. For example: driving on the interstate. How is something as simple as driving a competition? On the many interstate highways across America, people are competing to travel to their destinations as quickly as possible, competing to obtain the prime position to cruise in the right lane, and competing to simply avoid an accident and stay alive. Drivers compete against each other - joggling and jostling for positions and perfect passes that rival a football game. They compete against the elements - fierce winds, heavy downpours, icy roads, and blazing sunlight doing everything possible to hinder the perfect driving experience. Lastly, drivers compete against themselves - tired and fighting the urge to fall asleep, staying focused and trying to avoid as many distractions as possible, and making the smartest decisions on the road that lead to the safest, most efficient travel. Competition on the freeway is inevitable, as is competition in life.
So because life is this master of competition, must every single person on the planet be crazy competitive? Maybe. There is no doubt that being competitive drives people to greatness - pushing performance, accountability, determination, and success. However, being too competitive can have its drawbacks. No one likes the know-it-all who blurts out the answer before others get a chance or the guy that punches a hole in the wall if he loses a round of Pictionary.
All of us are on the spectrum of crazy competitive to not-caring at all. Like many concepts and characteristics of this world, it is important to have a balanced approach in competitively attacking life and its challenges. Go ahead and try to defeat your opponent on the court, in the classroom, or even on the road; but maybe hold back on punching your coworker who just claimed your dream promotion. Accepting defeat and how we do so seems to be just as crucial as achieving victory.
How can we determine who has "won" the competition of life? Is it the person who makes the most money, or is the happiest in their job, or both? Is it the person who dies peacefully in their sleep at the age of 102 or the person who is honorably killed in the line of duty at a young age? No one can know for sure. A true winner of life cannot be determined, but that does not mean that we should stop competing any time soon.
