Competition

Athletes race to win. Some have ill motives, some have honorable motives, but they all share one mentality: “I compete.” In their competing, they become stronger and healthier. As the athlete competes, resulting in strength and health, so competing students enrich their mental and interpersonal well-being.

Many people believe that competition degrades students, that competition brings students down to a base mode of humanity, a single-mindedness of “I must be better than you.” In part, they are correct. Competition frequently causes destructive rivalries. “Victors” flaunt and gloat over the “defeated.” Elitism develops. The gloater's actions may even cause the “failure” to lose hope or to feel worthless. In the eyes of many people, competition ultimately causes students to do worse because it belittles equality, fair-treatment, and justice.

Fortunately, this degradation is only one side of a many-faceted gem. Yes, some students will form rivalries. Yes, some students will gloat. But because people desire to have good relationships with others, it is unlikely that all students will be only rivals. As in a relay race, some students will encourage one another to “run harder,” to be on time, to listen attentively, to study consistently, and to not cheat. The good attitudes, discipline, work, and leadership of these students will stimulate those who would otherwise be of low motivation.

Competition does not remove all possibility of having proud or discouraged students; it provides a gateway to help develop selfless, stimulated students. Simply put, the carnal things of humanity cannot be avoided. There will always be students who cannot stop gloating and bullying. Competition, however, can offset these undesirable characteristics. With or without competition, students will naturally tend toward selfishness, pride, mediocrity, and worse, but with competition, they are at least provided with incentive to improve themselves and others.

In conclusion, competition has ups and downs. The runner cannot know if he will finish the race, but he has every right to utilize the proper tools to do so. Whether in a race or in a classroom, competition is one of those “proper” tools.