Competition LO18168

Roxanne Abbas (rabbas@comp-web.com)
Fri, 22 May 1998 10:31:37 -0500

Replying to LO18131 --

Rol wrote about his experience growing up:

"From 12-22 years old I lived in various environments, many of them
dangerous to the extreme. Why I survived and my friends did not-aside
from what we now call survivor's guilt-is a matter of mystery to me.
Being pretty unreligious, I simply attribute it to some chance, and some
personal characteristics, but not primarily a product of my own efforts.
Interestingly, being perceived to be non-competitive was a sure route to
persecution and probable destruction. On the other hand becoming overly
competitive was a sure route to self-destruction, as many of my peers
learned."

Rol, thanks for telling your story. Our mental models are the result of
our life experience. Those of us who have lived, or do live, in places
where survival depends on our ability to compete, will view the value of
the competitive model far differently from those of us who have not had
this experience.

Doc, I apologize for my faulty interpretation to your post. You said in
part: "I'm reminded of Ortega y Gasset's words: "The essence of man is
purely and simply danger. Man always travels among precipices, and,
whether he will or no, his truest obligation is to keep his balance." If
the essence of life is truly "danger," (as I perceive it to be), then
honing my competitive and cooperative skills and being prepared to use
whichever of these help me maintain my balance is the choice I make. As
with all things, being too competitive or too cooperative is dysfunctional
and will, eventually, cause my fall from the precipices. "

Even with your follow-up explanation, I don't think I understand this
statement. I have never thought of the essence of my life as 'danger'.
Can you say more to help me understand this perspective. Also, please
tell me how being too cooperative would be dysfunctional.

-- 

Roxanne Abbas mailto:rabbas@comp-web.com http://www.comp-web.com

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