On 27-9-2011 20:20, Jim Henderson wrote:
> On Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:32:18 +0200, andrel wrote:

>> Just as long as it is within their field. Let them write a grant
>> application to get money to pay their training program and living for
>> half a year with only 15% granted and see if they still like to compete.
>
> That's not the way it works, though.  You work in academia IIRC, are you
> saying you don't compete for grant money for research you're working on?

No I do, and I hate it, and so does almost everyone I know. (meaning 
that someone I know might like it, but that I never noticed. Put another 
way: everyone that said something about it in my company hates it). We 
are forced by others to do so, even though we know the system does not 
work and can never work. At least not until someone invents a time machine.
So yes, I am competing, but I am still not competitive and actually 
there is no competition either. (there are arbitrary numbers attached to 
the entries, combined in an arbitrary way and then an arbitrary 
threshold is set in order spend the budget but no more).

>>> Right now, we're discussing competing ideas - in a way, this discussion
>>> is a form of competition. ;)
>>
>> And I have a bit of a cold so I am competing with a lot of small things
>> too. Sorry, what was the point?
>
> You've said that you're not competitive by nature, but in fact, you do
> compete even if you don't call it that.

It is not a competition if there are no rules.

>>>> I think the alternative explanation that we are not competitive by
>>>> nature but that sometimes we are forced to suppress that instinct is a
>>>> much better one.
>>>
>>> Perhaps it's more cultural than I initially thought. :)  I read an
>>> interesting article today at www.markgoulston.com about the nature of
>>> competition in the US and how it differs from other parts of the world.
>>> I'd be interested in what you think of that article.
>>
>> I vaguely remember someone in the beginning of this discussion
>> mentioning that competitiveness is cultural. It was a long time ago, so
>> I might be misremembering.
>
> No, I remember someone making that statement, too.  I thought it was
> you. :)

What? Oh yes indeed, it was apparently even the first thing I said.

>> What I find interesting is that an American realizes that cultural
>> differences exist. They often seem to have trouble understanding that.
>> Must be cultural.
>
> LOL!  Many Americans do - as a society, we tend to be overconfident and
> tend to underachieve.  There was a study done recently about how students
> around the world perform on exams, with Americans scoring somewhere in
> the middle on actual score, but their confidence in answering the exam
> questions was #1.  So, we're #1 and thinking we're #1.

Which might annoy the hell out of an international group if all but one 
realize that the American does not know what he is talking about.

>>> I think there are some like that.  I know in my current situation, I'd
>>> prefer tomorrow not be the same as today - I'd rather be employed. ;)
>>
>> But if you have a family you would prefer them to be there tomorrow too.
>> If you had enough money to buy food, you'd prefer that to be the case
>> tomorrow too. Still having two arms would be a bonus. Being employed or
>> not is just a mere detail. ;)
>
> Fair points, though employed/not employed - at least right now - is kinda
> a big detail.

It is the focus of your attention, which might not be the same thing.


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

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