Is there ever anything positive about competition?
I participate in a wide variety of competitions and I still do not have a final answer to this question. Trash talking is a key component to any male friendship. I often enjoy poking fun at friends and they do not withhold their vitriolic responses. My earliest memories of talking trash go back to my elementary school days when I used to fight off Yankee fans all the time (shhh... I am a Mets fan). I once started a massive food fight in school due to my inability to control my emotions about a comment regarding the inferiority of the Mets!
I have supposedly grown up but now I have the pleasure of owning my own baseball team in the form of a fantasy baseball team. In fact, I own two teams in different leagues. I have been a part of one league for over 7 years and the rivalries are fierce. I haven't won a league championship and, in fact, I haven't come close. The pride of each individual member of the league is very evident in the message board posts and other conversations surrounding the league.
This past week I boiled over when I discovered over 30 messages in my email account that related to the league. A majority of the messages pointed out that I was an obvious favorite to LOSE. The messages included an in-depth analysis of the points and match-ups in the league. The time and energy spent on generating that analysis was significant. My initial thought was, "How can these guys spend THAT much time crunching data to come to these conclusions?"
I reflected on how I used to work at as a software developer and I would have tons of time every day to do the same analysis. Even moreso, I thought about how I used to be paid a lot of money for doing that. I decided to let my fantasy league "friends" know what I thought about the fact that they are getting paid to do a bunch of nothing! I posted a statement that made sure to let them know what I thought about their analysis.
I haven't talked to any of the league members in days...
Is there anything positive about competition?
Should competition lead to broken friendships?
Does competition feed the fire of pride as opposed to putting it to death?
Does competition have any place in the Christian life?
My initial, knee-jerk response is "NO!" Get rid of competition! Remove yourself from all forms of it. If pride is fed by something, then cut it out of your life!
Is this the mature Christian response? Christians are called to maturity and my interpretation of that reality is a life that is not run by simple rules with the expectation that rule-abiding is the solution or the end game. The God of Christianity is the one who initiated relationship with humanity through the calling of the people Israel and then the incarnation in Jesus Christ and the gift of adoption into the family of God in Christ. Simple rules are for toddlers who need to be shown how to live the basics of life and how to respect authority. Simple rules do not apply to complex situations if the person is solely looking to follow the rule "just because" as opposed to living out the true spirit of the rule or guideline. A mature person lives according to wisdom based on the given guidelines and life experiences. The Bible is the source of the guidelines as well as examples of individuals who have made mature and immature decisions.
How does this relate to fantasy baseball and competition? My response now is that competition can be positive if it keeps friends connected through a means that draws them together. I wouldn't be in close contact with 6-7 friends in Virginia (some going back to my days at UVa) if I wasn't in the league. Competition is negative if I let the results (my losing) control me and my interactions with my friends. Again, I cite the example that I haven't spoken with my friends in days. Each person needs to determine how to live in the tension of competition and friendship.
The apostle Paul addresses the mature Christians approach to gray areas like competition when he writes in 1 Corinthians 6:12 "Everything is permissible for me" - but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible to me" - but I will not be mastered by anything.
Go and decide if competition is positive for you?
I would love to hear a feminine perspective on this subject. Competition comes in many forms.
4 comments:
Nice to see your photo up, not trying to hide anymore, eh?
I can't bring much of a feminie perspective, but I will try to add something.
I noticed something in EGO's reading today in Hebrew lecture (he did the prayer/devo - you weren't there). Anyway, in an exerpt from CS Lewis' "Screwtape Letters" was something that mentioned we should strive to do as well as our abilities allow us, make the great cathedrals, etc. But be as excited about our achievements as if someone else had done them.
It makes you think about competition. I mean, if at the end of the day, you can actually be happy for the guy who just kicked the living snot out of you, then you're in the right place. But if it takes you 3 days to calm down from losing a game... maybe you need to do some work. I personally believe that a little "trash talk" amongst friends who know what's up, who trust and love each other and can take it well, is fine. But each person needs to be willing to say "that hurt" and be able to apologize when they inevitably cross the line.
So, yeah, competition in the Christian life is possible, but I think the ultimate goal needs to remain on the horizon: Glorifying God and lifting each other up. If we slap each other around in the meantime... well, iron sharpens iron, right?
I posted my thoughts on http://livesthatcount.blogspot.com/.
jc and jbutch just added some key additions to the this discussion.
I like how jbutch differentiated between "normal" competition and competition that can lead to the sin of pride. In addition, I agree that if a person decides to leave competition behind then he/she will give up the opportunity to interact with other people. His point provides additional proof that individuals should lean toward participating in competition because it is an avenue for meeting people and forming memories.
Memories are foundational pieces of friendships and communities.
jc's comment on http://livesthatcount.blogspot.com needs to be read and reread by anybody who is reading this comment. jc is spot on with his assessment that there is something very powerful about telling someone that they suck after beating them. I haven't been able to identify the exact reason for that sense of power but the power definitely is present.
His observation that there is a spiral of losing that leads to doubt is a key one. I often notice a pattern of individuals (mostly guys) who lose and then a more fevorish commitment to making up for the loss. One of my favorite memories was a friend who kept losing at blackjack with small bets and then lost his mind and decided to take out a large sum of money at a convenient ATM nearby. He put it all down for a bet and lost. He was destroyed after that. His appetite for winning wasn't destroyed but he was more destroyed as a person as a result.
Post a Comment