Competition

“The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”
― Willie Nelson

Competition is about winning. Mostly, it's about winning against others. That's one way of framing it. Some would argue that taking part in competition is not about winning against others, but rather it's about competing against yourself, and the other competitors is simply a reference point. That said, if you're only competing against yourself, do you really need other participants to stay motivated?

Based on the viewpoint that competition concerns itself with winning, and that winning is the first priority, everything else comes after. Saftey, health, ethics, everything becomes secondary or not even considered. It's about winning, whatever it takes. Unless you are exceptionally talented, genetically gifted or somehow prone to become a champion, winning takes sacrifice. If you're not naturally brilliant, you don't get to be number one unless you make it a very high priority. Winning cannot be second priority in life if other equal competitiors make winning their first priority, or even making winning their only priority, like nothing else matters.

“Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.”
― Stephen King

Winners may be cheaters. Many winners in fact are. They have commited fraud, killed, taken steroids, done horrible things, all in the name of winning. And if they are not called out, they will keep their champion title. Winning is all perception. There's things going on behind the scenes, things you never see, and many get away with it. The truth will eventually be revealed, it's said. But it's not. Some cheaters will never be revealed. They themselves will know how they got there. Then again, playing clean and fair might be the exception. It might just be the top competitors all are very skilled at one thing: They're skilled at hiding things. In business, sports, politics, power, war; Winning is hard, and if your adversary is trying to win by any means, this will re-define the game. Will you compete against an unfair advantage, or will you compete on your own terms? If you're competing on your own terms, you're not competing against others, you are competing against yourself. And then the reason to compete is what? It certainly isn't about winning the prize, because you're not competing against others.

The Art of Winning

“Thus we may know that there are five essentials for victory: 1 He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight. 2 He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces. 3 He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks. 4 He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared. 5 He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War