Write 5 pages with APA style on Competition and Happiness. Rubin shows that despite the almost unnecessary need for competition, most parents in the United States tend to push their children into competitive environments from the time when they are young, and this is normally in a bid to ensure that they are able to win even if by proxy. He compares such a competitive environment with that of Switzerland where individuals do not need to compete in order to excel in life and this is mainly through there has developed a system that encourages collaboration rather than competition in situations where individuals would like to accomplish their goals. Rubin implies that a system of collaboration is better suited for an increase in productivity than competitiveness because of the latter treats almost all situations like games that have to be won by any means necessary rather than work that can be accomplished through individuals working together.
One would agree with the views that have been made by Rubin because of the increasing evidence that is accumulating around society, showing an increasing tendency towards violence among individuals. This is mainly because individuals have come to treat almost all aspects of their lives as competitions, a factor which has brought about a situation where they are increasingly acting violently in case the situation involved does not go their way. The lack of self-control that has developed because of the highly competitive nature of society has led to individuals’ losing the opportunity to derive satisfaction through their participation in different activities. Instead, they have come to value more the act of winning rather than finding satisfaction in not only teamwork but also being participants in the game. In most circumstances, sporting activities in themselves are not important because they are supposed to be a means through which individuals find enjoyment in their lives.
However, the highly competitive nature that has developed in society has made it almost impossible for individuals to enjoy their lives because they concentrate more on winning. The great treatment that winners receive and the derision with which losers are looked upon and spoken to tends to make it difficult for the latter to accept their loss. Competition has become so important for members of teams in sports that they have come to easily forget that they are playing a mere game and attacked match officials for what they believe is unfairness in the field (Nevius).
