Competitive Edge

Ever since the dawn of man, it has become quite clear that the human race, as a species, contains the very prominent animal instinct to combat against one another. Whether it be to win a competition, intimidate others, or simply impress a woman, it is obvious that our species embraces its natural design to compete. However, some go to greater lengths than others to reach the desired dominant status. Humanity, in hopes of gaining the most “competitive edge” and triumphing in the quest to excel and stand out among peers, has attempted in every way to obtain the physical prowess which their adversaries lack. Ancient Olympiads have even resorted to devouring whole goat testicles while Zulu warriors gulped down brews of grape skin and ancient Greeks consumed ground donkey hooves in hopes of acquiring such advantages (Yu-Hsuan Lee 7). These methods may seem obscene, unorthodox, and taboo to society today and although some may argue that in today’s times we do not go to as great of lengths as our ancestors, in reality, it is today’s civilization that has taken performance-enhancing drugs to its extreme.

In modern society, steroids have essentially become the new goat testicle. By definition, an anabolic steroid is: “A group of synthetic hormones that promote the storage of protein and the growth of tissue, sometimes used by athletes to increase muscle size and strength” (The Free Dictionary). When used, steroids can increase both muscle mass and strength significantly but with extreme consequences that cause irreparable damage to the human body. In men, acne, a skin disease in which pimples sprout on the skin, will begin to form, breasts will develop, and they will face urological issues and lethal heart conditions. However, women are ...

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...mpletely oblivious to their effects, while being essentially brainwashed by them, advertisements may prove to be the underlying key factor in encouraging the youth especially, along with many other individuals, that they are unfit to be labeled as “handsome”, “strong and built” or “beautiful”. In hopes of becoming the “lean and cut” people they witness displayed universally, including the television and billboards, many of the youth are beginning to resort to steroids at an alarming and gradually increasing rate (refer to figure 2). These ads, designed to make an impression of what beauty truly is in the minds of its viewers, have a direct effect on the way people examine themselves. Consequently, much more people are becoming willing to endure the negative effects of steroids on their own bodies, just for the brief taste of what it is to be socially “acceptable”.