2017
Is competition a bad thing?
February 2017


“Is competition a bad thing?” New Era, February 2017

Is competition a bad thing?

Image
young women playing a board game

Photograph by Bruno Lima

Like so many things, competition can be either good or bad, depending on how you approach it. It’s bad if you define it as “seeking to humiliate and destroy others” or “obsessively comparing myself to others” or “placing winning above everything, including my character, integrity, love of others, and covenants with God.” But it can be good if it’s about coming together with others to bring out everyone’s best or have harmless fun. When it’s done in the right spirit, it can make winning and losing less a matter of ego and can help you take joy in the accomplishments of others (as well as yourself).

Whether it’s sports, board games, a dance contest, or any other endeavor, healthy competition can sometimes enhance the experience for everyone. Unhealthy competition, on the other hand, can make everyone miserable. You can usually tell which is which by the spirit that accompanies it.