On the Buzzer

In the past week I have been fortunate enough to beat some amazing game show champions. One of them beat me summarily in return, but that aside, being in the heat of the action reminded me how much competition was lacking in my life.

Sure, at work we all fend for the best position. Raises, promotions and the best days off are always jockeyed for. However, beyond that Americans seem to have lost the competitive edge for which we were once known.

Nowadays people want to talk or watch movies rather than play sports or a challengeing board game. And those who do choose to compete often do so behind the guise of an internet persona, taking solace in the anonymity, while evoking competitive aspects of themselves they would never reveal if they thought they were being judged. Somehow, these avatars seem to make it okay to be aggressive and cutthroat, but these are actions that should not be socially criminalized in the first place. Now let's be real for a moment and point out that these actions, especially when coupled with online avatars, are often exclusively associated with socially excommunicated geeks.

Mind you, I count myself among their bretheren while I somehow still manage to straddle the social fence.

The point is, if we as a society and as "Team America" are to do better, we need to imbue healthy competition into our daily life. We can't be willing to accept dropping out of the top 10 in education standards and we need to get over the "loser's complex"; the idea that one winner creates more than one loser and thus competition is counterproductive and even detrimental.

I ask you to remember the last time you won something; the last time that you won something that you had to work for. Now look me in the eyes (or the squirrel for that matter) and tell me that moment wasn't worth it. That it was counterproductive. That is was detrimental. Tell that squirrel that losing doesn't make every win sweeter. Can't do it can you? Now give the squirrel a nut.