The Philosophy Behind Competition: Hunger, Defeat and Victory
Updated: Feb 16
In the Arena of Virtual Ink -- The Fight for Author Supremacy
The idea, or essence, behind competition lies in the fact that victory is not guaranteed. At its most basic, a competition is a race between multiple rivals for rewards or resources. Thus, job interviews are competitions, and the workplace is a competition, just like survival in the jungle is. It can be brutal; it can be merciless, but if one wants to win and reap the rewards, He or she must prepare to lose as long as it takes, as long as they are serious enough about winning.
Competition isn't always about existential survival. As a writer, I compete with countless other authors, most of whom I am not even aware of. We are all competing for your attention. Your attention, as the reader or consumer, is one that should be most valuable to anyone who takes their writing seriously. Since, in my eyes, I am as good as dead without writing, I must follow the reasoning of the previous paragraph so I have a reason to endure.
Hunger, Triumph and Proof of Merit In a Diverse World
Nazism... is perhaps the most brutal philosophy regarding competition, even though World War II disproved the supposed superiority of the Nazis. If they finished their deadly job, then I would not be alive. Naturally, I am opposed to Nazism and Social Darwinism... What I do not oppose is the concept of meritocracy. The Nazis believed they deserved to commit genocide and enslave the weak simply because of their "race." Such brutality was underserved, given the fact that they could still survive without starting another world war... Without invading Poland, France and so on.
Due to their vicious stupidity, I despise them with every fiber of my being. What I do not despise, however, is the basic need to survive, which leads to competition that has nothing to do with race. The fact that one is dark-skinned, Arab, or Jewish, for example, does not have to prevent one from earning a living and providing for one's family!
(The same goes with neurodiversity; a job interviewer re-considered hiring me simply because I have Asperger's.)
Communism attempted to alleviate the need for competition in society and the environment in general by attempting to provide for each citizen in accordance with his or her needs. In practice, this can make a country poorer, and the poorer a country is, the less food it will be able to supply, and its citizens might have a harder time affording anything else.
This is why a greater financial wealth that surpasses the communist ascetic tendencies is vital in order to achieve just that: a greater chance for survival. The North Korean communist philosophy of "Juche" fails to understand it, hence why it is a rogue nation with little international trade, which leads many to starve. Complete self-reliance is a mistake. Help's great, right? Can prevent death.
What some of us might call "the market," AKA, the world of dating, is one such field for competition. I think it should be obvious that some of us might not be relevant to someone else, no matter how much we love them. That's why the dating world isn't just all "fun and games": It's also a vicious competition for other partners, and of course, for their love of us, too. We don't deserve someone specific just because we love them, correct? After all, they are also free to choose, and they are in this competition just like we are.
As a result, I believe that the hungrier you are for victory, the better prepared you will be for a continuous, and sometimes frustrating, streak of defeats. If you give up completely, then your thirst for victory might not be as strong.
It's just like in nature, or in the "jungle": If you lack the hunger to hunt and for survival in general, then you will either die without food or die without successors. Thus, should you ever live in the wilderness, you must do anything it takes to survive against your many competitors. Since nature is so unforgiving and cruel, I see little beauty in it.
From Rejected Empathy to Relentless Pursuit Towards Victory
Thus, in order to be victorious, please do not delude yourself in the belief that you deserve victory in any field whatsoever. Generally, you must earn it. You must prove, in the minds of the world's members, that you're relevant. Accept empathy from others! Friends, followers, and allies! It is proof of your plans, being promising. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of rejecting some.
To get the roadrunner, prepare to fail and to suffer, whether deservedly or unjustly. It has no reason to serve itself to you, coyote. You might fail, but at the very least? You've tried!
