On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:33:21 +0100, Orchid XP v8 wrote:

>>> Doing *your* best is about *yourself*. It has nothing to do with
>>> anybody else. It's something that everybody can strive towards, all on
>>> their own.
>>
>> [...]
>>
>>> Competition is fundamentally about "I want me to win, not you". It
>>> runs /against/ the idea of being fair and just.
>>
>> One can compete against oneself as well.  Running around a track,
>> trying to beat your own best time, for example.
> 
> I would argue that "yourself" is ideally the /only/ person you should be
> competing against.

I would disagree.  There are circumstances where competing against an 
external force of some sort drives one to better and better results.

>> Competition is itself not inherently bad.  Competition drives people to
>> put out better and better products and services, for one thing.
> 
>  From what I've seen, it drives people towards greater and greater
> levels of obfuscation to prevent people realising how poor their
> products and services are, rather than, you know, *actually* developing
> better stuff. (The latter would cost *actual* money.)

You have a very limited view of the world - that's something that's 
pretty well established already.  But, in fairness, it is your view.

I do not share that view.

Look at the competition between the US and the USSR back in the 60's in 
the 'space race' - a *lot* of good came out of that, and the competition 
was not only healthy but resulted in a great many scientific advances.

>> There is such a thing as *healthy* competition.
> 
> Sure. It's just uncommon.

I disagree.  It's just that the media sensationalizes the other kind so 
much that healthy competition isn't much of a 'news' story.

Jim

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