On 21-9-2011 5:58, Jim Henderson wrote:
> On Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:27:48 +0200, andrel wrote:
>
>> Just a quick note: competitiveness is partly cultural. In some countries
>> students compete with every other student and the percentage of students
>> that pass is fixed. In other countries you pass if you meet a certain
>> level.
>
> I think competitiveness is part of human nature.  Competition to find the
> 'best' mate, for example - something that drives the race to continue.

I do not remember to have competed with any other person for a mate.
I mean, sure it is a competition, but an abstract one.
Finding a mate is entering a multidimensional competition where you 
don't know on what quality you will be scored and the rules change 
unpredictably during the competition. And the same silliness applies to 
that mate. (I think we might be the only species where we have 
simultaneous sexual selection on both genders, though no doubt Gilles 
will know a counterexample).

Defending a system where your scores are compared to your fellow 
students (including your friends) and only a certain percentage pass, by 
referring to this sort of abstract competition is plain silly.

I think Andy said it better than me. The balance between encouraging 
competition or cooperation differs between countries and cultures.


-- 
Apparently you can afford your own dictator for less than 10 cents per 
citizen per day.

Post a reply to this message