In various areas of life, people compete. Most often, people associate sports with competition, but people can also vie over power, knowledge, and their assets. People argue over who has the biggest problems. Some say the need to compete is embedded in all people’s DNA (Latterell 204-07). With every competition, there is a motive to win. From person to person, different reasons arise. The most common motivation is pride.
All people have pride, or a self-love. Accomplishments and successes build up pride, while failures strike it down. The degree of pride varies with each person. Some gleefully boast, while others are humble. The more prideful a person, the more likely the person is competitive. A person with a strong self-love wants to be the best and will not settle with second. People tend to perceive a winner and a loser, and being the loser hurts the pride (Latterell 210-213). Pride wants the victory and with the triumph, power.
The power generates a sense of being the best, which fuels the pride. Winning produces the power that boosts the ego, specifically authority. George Sitkowski from the film, That Champion Season, competes for authoritative power. The movie, based on Jason Miller’s play produced in 1972, explores the theme of competition within an old basketball team. The story takes place in Scranton, Pennsylvania, twenty-five years after the fictional basketball championship. George, one of the team members, is running for mayor. He wants the power and recognition that comes with the victory. He is trying his best to win, even bringing in an elephant as a mascot to the town. At one point in the film, he is willing to replace his loyal friend for his rich friend, who had an affair with his wife, as his campaign manager to win (That Champion Season). George has a strong self-love and will do anything to keep his authority as the mayor. He wants to keep the power instead of losing the election and hurting his pride, motivating him to compete. Many are similar to George Sitkowski in their motivation to compete. Whether vying for a position in a group, a company, or a community, people want the power that produces authority to boost their ego. Similarly, people have the same incentives to be correct in a debate.
Pride fuels the need to be right causing a competition of opinions. People take pride in their thoughts, opinions, and beliefs, believing those are fact. If a man challenges a woman on what she believes, a debate will ensue to see who is right. The pride is hurt when proven wrong, so people at times, will do anything to prove themselves right. Some people will manipulate facts to prove themselves right. If a man is told he is wrong, he will become angry and defensive because his pride was hurt. He will engage in a debate to establish himself as correct. Most people do not recognize that other ideas could be true also. When more than one idea is right, people will compete to have the better idea. In a class project, pride is built up if a suggestion is used and hurt if a suggestion is rejected. People who have a less degree of pride have the ability to compromise instead of having the best idea, while others with a strong self-love want to be the best, especially in their strengths.
People take pride in what they do best. They will compete to prove they are best in that matter. If they do not win in their asset, the pride takes a big hit. A math genius would hate not being able to answer the math questions the quickest. An English major wants a piece he or she wrote chosen to be published. When a bowling team, who practice every day and are good, play against an amateur team, they want to win because losing would hurt their ego. Having pride in a particular area motivates people to want to be the best in that subject. They will compete hard so not to lose and feel like a fool.
All people compete at least one time during their lifetimes. Some are more competitive, going as far as cheating to win. Some do their best and are satisfied with the results. Either way, they have a reason. The one reason that most compete and have a hard time ignoring is pride.
Work Cited
Latterell, Catherine. "Competition." Remix Reading+composing Culture. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. 203-14. Print.
That Champion Season.By Jason Miller. 1972. DVD.
All people have pride, or a self-love. Accomplishments and successes build up pride, while failures strike it down. The degree of pride varies with each person. Some gleefully boast, while others are humble. The more prideful a person, the more likely the person is competitive. A person with a strong self-love wants to be the best and will not settle with second. People tend to perceive a winner and a loser, and being the loser hurts the pride (Latterell 210-213). Pride wants the victory and with the triumph, power.
The power generates a sense of being the best, which fuels the pride. Winning produces the power that boosts the ego, specifically authority. George Sitkowski from the film, That Champion Season, competes for authoritative power. The movie, based on Jason Miller’s play produced in 1972, explores the theme of competition within an old basketball team. The story takes place in Scranton, Pennsylvania, twenty-five years after the fictional basketball championship. George, one of the team members, is running for mayor. He wants the power and recognition that comes with the victory. He is trying his best to win, even bringing in an elephant as a mascot to the town. At one point in the film, he is willing to replace his loyal friend for his rich friend, who had an affair with his wife, as his campaign manager to win (That Champion Season). George has a strong self-love and will do anything to keep his authority as the mayor. He wants to keep the power instead of losing the election and hurting his pride, motivating him to compete. Many are similar to George Sitkowski in their motivation to compete. Whether vying for a position in a group, a company, or a community, people want the power that produces authority to boost their ego. Similarly, people have the same incentives to be correct in a debate.
Pride fuels the need to be right causing a competition of opinions. People take pride in their thoughts, opinions, and beliefs, believing those are fact. If a man challenges a woman on what she believes, a debate will ensue to see who is right. The pride is hurt when proven wrong, so people at times, will do anything to prove themselves right. Some people will manipulate facts to prove themselves right. If a man is told he is wrong, he will become angry and defensive because his pride was hurt. He will engage in a debate to establish himself as correct. Most people do not recognize that other ideas could be true also. When more than one idea is right, people will compete to have the better idea. In a class project, pride is built up if a suggestion is used and hurt if a suggestion is rejected. People who have a less degree of pride have the ability to compromise instead of having the best idea, while others with a strong self-love want to be the best, especially in their strengths.
People take pride in what they do best. They will compete to prove they are best in that matter. If they do not win in their asset, the pride takes a big hit. A math genius would hate not being able to answer the math questions the quickest. An English major wants a piece he or she wrote chosen to be published. When a bowling team, who practice every day and are good, play against an amateur team, they want to win because losing would hurt their ego. Having pride in a particular area motivates people to want to be the best in that subject. They will compete hard so not to lose and feel like a fool.
All people compete at least one time during their lifetimes. Some are more competitive, going as far as cheating to win. Some do their best and are satisfied with the results. Either way, they have a reason. The one reason that most compete and have a hard time ignoring is pride.
Work Cited
Latterell, Catherine. "Competition." Remix Reading+composing Culture. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. 203-14. Print.
That Champion Season.By Jason Miller. 1972. DVD.