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Competition: Is emphasizing “Winning” Really Worth it?

You’re a loser. That is, at competition. Competition produces more losers than winners; that’s just a fact. With all competitions having more participants than 1, not everyone can be top dog. This inevitable loss, paired with the modern-day pressure to win at all costs, young people can often be hurt, rather than helped, by competition. Adolescents often have lowered self-esteem when they lose, because too much emphasis is put on winning being the only goal. When, in reality, being a winner in life isn’t all about the score. Additionally, kids don’t do a better job in competition, in fact, they often do worse. Given the proven facts and statistics, competition should not be encouraged among young people. By encouraging competition, one causes young people to have anxiety & stress and not reach their full potential. By working together as a team, people can share their unique talents and help each other, they can also be more creative.

Many well-respected researchers, such as Alfie Kohn, have claimed competition is bad news. One of the many reasons these individuals have claimed competition is detrimental is that competition often times lowers young people’s self-esteem. There are multiple reasons for this, one being that when a child loses, they see themselves as a failure, and not good enough. An adolescent’s parents and coaches may also put excessive pressure on them to win. This pressure may make a parent’s love seem conditional, that if a child does not win they are not loved as much. Obviously, this can make anyone feel less-confident and bad about themselves, especially children. Some may, however, disagree with this statement and state that competiti...

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.... They are put under less stress which causes less anxiety, allowing them to be more relaxed. When one is relaxed they are more easily able to do their very best and succeed to their fullest capabilities.

In conclusion, the strong emphasis on competition does nothing but bad. This strong emphasis can cause children to have low self-esteem and see their parent’s love as conditional. Additionally, when the score is all that’s focused on the true meaning of winning is lost, because being a real winner is not only about the score. Also, not only is competition not necessary to success, it’s actually making it even harder to achieve. With the high stress put on by parents and coaches, an individual may be too stressed or anxious to do their very best. Cooperation, studies have found, is the best way to achieve the best picture of success for all young people.