Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Kpaxs's avatar

Don’t compete with anyone. Let everyone compete with you. When you compete with others, you're living up to their standards, not your own. Don’t compete, perform at your highest standard and do your best.

Expand full comment
Matt Demers's avatar

A great post, as always.

In my writing work I'm mostly trying to approach competitiveness as a vehicle towards self-esteem; being able to adapt the mindset of a competitor (and having the experience of working towards a goal) feels like a victory I can earn "for me."

I guess where I'm stumbling is that thought that I could always bes pending my time better, and the idea that "competing against the person I was yesterday" never seems satisfying, because I'm not giving myself the credit actually doing valid work in that time.

I feel like this piece comes from the position of high self-esteem (not sure if you equate that with your "high ego/low ego" definitions or not); there doesn't seem to be much questioning of the motivations, the validity of the motivations, or a negative perception of self along that journey. I realize you've only volunteered a small side of yourself in the anecdotes here, but would love for you to write on that if you have it in you.

Expand full comment
3 more comments...

No posts