A comment in another thread made me wonder where you all stand on competitiveness, but school I mean - do you consider yourself competitive?
I am the least competitive person you'll ever come across. I simply don't care about winning anything, whether it's a game or an argument. Does nothing for me at all and I have no interest in teams or groups in any way.
This might be at one end of a spectrum. I used to work with someone for whom competition appeared to be vital. The smallest chance of bellowing victory, whether it was getting a sale or some physical sport he was watching or involved in was always taken.
I always felt he was at the other extreme. We actually got on well, for some reason. Maybe he saw me as a pushover, whereas in fact I didn't mind at all whether he won everything as I don't see the world in those terms.
Where do you stand?
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Depends, as I mentioned elsewhere, if it's me doing the competing then I'm highly competitive, but if I'm just watching others then I find it very hard to care much who wins.
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I'm pretty much at the same end of the spectrum as you cc. I like to achieve things but have no interest whatsoever in "beating" someone else in the process.
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When it comes to sport, I am competitive to a pathological degree. Not very satisfying as I'm not that good at anything, but I must feel I've tried as hard as I possibly can and on 1 v 1 games I am a very sore loser.
I cannot even play Monopoly without taking it deadly seriously and if the other players are taking a light hearted approach I get bored and look for an excuse to walk away. I was the same when I was at school, I once had a serious fight with my then best mate during a game of subbuteo over a disputed penalty. We didn't talk for weeks afterwards.
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I was a mediocre athlete and pretty lazy. I didn't expect to win trophies or be in winning teams or crews.
Too idle to get really ace at difficult games, chess, bridge and so on. I could manage the games OK but soon get bored with the need for endless practice.
Everyone feels a bit competitive about things they are good at. Be careful though, comparisons are odious, you can get bruised.
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Pretty much at the non competitive end of the spectrum.
I can be motivated by some particular 1:1 issue, whether an argument on here or beating The Lad to top of a hill on the bike.
But generally, like being top salesman in the team or more specifically getting a few hundred quid annual bonus as an 'exceptional' performer in my former Civil Service role, I'm just not that motivated. So long as I'm out of the decile/quartile or whatever that is under management's performance microscope then I'm satisfied.
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>>>I am the least competitive person you'll ever come across
No you're no... I am!
I do need to say anything I do I strive to do it to the very best of my ability... but for personal satisfaction and to meet or exceed the requirements of anyone I might be working for.
But beyond that it's a case of after you... if you're that fussed get on with it and leave me to the more relaxed life.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Fri 13 Jun 14 at 20:39
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I did a 52 mile cycle challenge last year that involved island hopping and taking five ferries. Was for charity and I raised about a grand for charity.
When I signed up for it, my sole ambition was to manage to finish it. There were a few hellish hills on it (anyone cycled in Arran??) and the previous year a few cyclists had failed to do it.
I did lots of training for it as I didn't want the embarrassment of being the one that's bundled into the back of the van with the bike!
So got off the first ferry in Arran, whilst everyone else were exchanging pleasantries etc, I was off like a shot. Cos I knew everyone would pass me but the longer into the journey the better. You had to do a fair pace to make the next ferry in time but I managed it.
Anyway as the challenge went on I realised that I was actually in the lead group so the adrenaline was pumping with the mindset changed from trying not to be last, to thinking I was doing b***** good!
Well, on the last stretch I went off like a bat out of hell and never looked back and approached the finishing line just as the organisers were setting it up! I was first!
And that is probably the most competitive I have ever felt in my non work life since playing school football!
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I think there is a difference between competing with others and competing with oneself.
I do not compete with others, but I can go completely over the top pushing myself to do the best I can. I will do my damnedest to do the best I can and if I lose something when I could have done better I don't react all that well.
Losing to someone who was better at it than me bothers me not a jot.
In team games, a lacking effort (in my perception) in others infuriates me. So much so that I stopped playing team games when I was about 12.
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A Danish guy ( in his fifties ) I do some work with swims the two miles from his house in open sea water across a bay and into a container ship harbour to work every day all year round.
After work he plays handball and then swims the same route home, in the dark.
His is a bit bonkers. Very fit though.
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>>I do need to say anything I do I strive to do it to the very best of my ability... but for personal satisfaction and to meet or exceed the requirements of anyone I might be working for.
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I think that about sums me up too.
I like to be at peace with myself and winning or losing something which doesn't really matter after all, doesn't affect that.
Not doing my best does.
Pat
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That's interesting. For me, the phrase "do your best" has never meant anything much. I just, well do stuff really. It would never normally occur to me to then think about whether it could have been done better or differently, I'm on to the next thing.
Makes me sound like a placid unintelligent beast, and I probably am, but it gets me through. Getting through is generally good enough for me. Usually just grateful to have done so.
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Competitiveness - Runfer D'Hills
