Wednesday 20 May 2020

Cooperation not competition leads to success


(Image source: freesvg.org)


In 2011 we remember with tears of joy when we had watched Mr. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the erstwhile Captain of the Indian cricket team raise the Cricket World Cup. While the cricketers in the Indian team batted and fielded each ball against the Sri Lankan opponents deftly, a majority of us sat glued to our seats, cheering the Indian team with pride- cutting across all lines of religion, caste, and bipartisanship. Have you wondered if all the Indian cricketers would have focused only on bettering their personal cricketing scores, could India have won the Cricket World Championships in 2011 ever? 


Competition in an ever-changing world



Whenever I think of the word competition I am reminded of a quote by Jules Henry “a competitive culture endures by tearing people down”. Each of us has had numerous instances through-out our lives where our achievements were paled to that of our peers. This constant comparison and the drive to compete often sets psychology- ‘If I am not the best then I am not good enough’. In the long run, we cannot always be ‘the best’ at everything we strive towards. We would sometimes fail and also face tremendous criticism. A person if brought up in a culture to constantly compete might embed a spirit of tenacity to overcome adversities ruthlessly and become more individualistic. At the same time the individual could fail to see failures as stepping-stones to success and instead due to the high pressure to be the best, might begin to harbor negative feelings of jealousy, envy that could decline ones’ self-esteem. 


Cooperation: a more altruistic way to a successful life 



Alternatively, if a child is brought up in an environment devoid of the constant pressure of being the highest scorer at a test or winner in an athletic race, it could help them instil a sense of contentment with their success. I am often reminded of instances where my sister would be over the moon if she got an overall pass of 50% and was happy with every small achievement. She would often say ‘my result matches my effort’. Although one may not be the best at a particular subject or presentation, it does not reflect on the overall person’s ability nor determines success in the future. In the long run of life, individuals such as my sister who have adapted to ward off the high-pressure system of competition usually are team-work oriented, altruistic decision-makers, and open-minded to risks due to an absence of a fear to fail. 


Although you and I have had different experiences throughout our lives, we have faced the harsh high-pressure system of competition and been both victims and perpetrators of this ideology. In the generations yet to come to fruition, let us help them imbibe the words of T. F. Hodge “a cooperative spirit enjoys a better harvest” to make them a kinder and humane generation cutting across all lines of religion, caste, and bipartisanship. 

No comments:

Post a Comment