Why Is Competition So Critical For Humans?

A person's competitiveness is a measure of their desire to succeed above others. Even if there is no clear winner or loser, a highly competitive person is more likely to view a situation as a competition. Even though there is no explicit reward for having the most followers, a teen might, for instance, compare their social media popularity to that of their friends. The person's rivals may be unaware they are competing.

A competitive person may go to great lengths to win a game or competition. A person can put in more effort than they would have done on their own by being competitive. However, a person who believes they must win at all costs runs the risk of exhaustion and alienation from others. Individuals who experience emotional distress or daily disruption as a result of competitiveness may wish to seek professional assistance. Competition is neither good nor bad on its own. In biology, organismal competition is a natural byproduct of evolution. Food, a place to sleep, or a partner with whom to mate are just a few of the resources that all organisms must compete for. Human competitiveness may be a byproduct of this biological competition.

Some kinds of competition can have an indirect effect on a person's capacity to live and bear children. A singer competing for a million dollars, for instance, could then afford to eat healthy food, buy a house big enough to house many kids, and so on.

However, although the tendency to compete may be a natural outgrowth of biological competition, the psychological trait of competitiveness frequently has nothing to do with survival. Good competition can help people feel better about themselves and have more fun in life. It can also inspire people to put in more effort to achieve their objectives.