On 24-9-2011 6:22, Jim Henderson wrote:
> On Sat, 24 Sep 2011 00:35:32 +0200, andrel wrote:
>
>> On 23-9-2011 0:18, Jim Henderson wrote:
>>> Humans are competitive by nature, and I think we're in agreement on
>>> that.
>>
>> It is mainly males that are competitive and even so I haven't directly
>> competed with another human for the last 30 years. Not even for a job or
>> a mate.
>> I try to do new things and in a better way, so in a sense I am in
>> competition with myself, but that is not what you mean, I guess. So to
>> the best of my knowledge I am not competitive at all. Which, given that
>> I only need one counterexample, implies that I think we don't agree. ;)
>
> Just because one doesn't compete doesn't mean it's not in your nature.
> As intelligent animals, humans can suppress that natural instinct.  That
> doesn't mean the instinct isn't there, just that the intelligent part of
> the brain in question has decided to try something else.

Sorry, but I am really not competitive. It isn't in my nature. When my 
job would require me to compete with other people, I would go and find 
another job.
I really think it is the other way around. Humans are by nature 
cooperative but certain circumstances may force them to be competitive. 
I know there is a lot of variation between individuals, gender and ages. 
Some people might actually be more competitive than cooperative. But it 
is a bell curve with a peak well into the cooperative side. Note that 
the people far on the wrong leg of the curve are the most visible.

It is also my experience that people who think of themselves as 
competitive are a disaster in any organization. Not the least by forcing 
more cooperative people out. It is in my opinion one of the main reasons 
there are not so many women in top positions. They, rightly, prefer a 
good working environment over one where people break their promises and 
tell you afterwards that it was just a game. Implying that you are not a 
good sport, even childish, if you complain about it. So I will speak out 
if someone is trying to pass on competitiveness as being part of being 
human.

As you might guess I am speaking from experience. I have turned down 
opportunities, because that would have forced me to work with 
'competitive' and (therefore) unreliable persons.

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

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