As anyone who attempts to socialize with the outside world would know, the Olympic games are currently all over the TV stations and if you have any sense of national pride then you’ve watched at least one or two events that may have sparked your interest thus far.
I’ve watched my fair share of events and there is a blatantly obvious theme that occurs in every event… Someone wins and someone loses.
Amazing right? Simply incredible I know. But here’s the thing.
The Olympics are considered to be the pinnacle of sports competition for a reason. Technically, everyone who’s competing in the Olympic games are all already winners to some extent. Some are even considered to be the best in their respective countries at their specific craft. All of them have had to be better than someone else, or even groups of people, to be considered as a candidate for the Olympics.
So even if an Olympian was to come in dead last at their specific event, they’d still be better than a horde of other people who never even qualified. Even if you get the bronze, or get the silver, again, you’re still better than a multitude of people out there… HOWEVER,
Is that knowledge truly enough to console you when you’re not one of the three who’s leaving the events with a medal?
Unfortunately, in America, the powers that be would like you to think that “Everybody wins” especially if you’re a kid. Even if you lose, you don’t “lose” you’re still a winner just for competing and you’ll get a trophy just like the kid who clearly wiped the floor with you and everybody else.
Then eventually you grow up and are reintroduced to how the rest of the world, including, ironically, America, actually functions when it comes to declaring a winner.
But does the “everyone’s a winner for competing” mentality have some merit when it comes to things like the Olympic games? Or is it still the same “a win is a win, a loss is a loss” ideal? Even if you don’t win the medal you’ve been training all of your life for, can you at least console yourself with the thought that you’re one of the few elite in the WORLD of your particular craft??
I’d love to know what you all think.
I believe in competition. If you win you win. Lose, you lose. “Everyone is a winner”, mentality is to not hurt feelings. But if you are competing then that is exactly why you are there. Volleyball and tennis doesn’t give out participating awards. Why should any other sport? If you strive to be better, then be better. No hard feelings, but practice harder. If that’s the best you can do and you are part of the top 12, but not the top 3, then you should just start training younger folk what you know. Hope they become what you couldn’t and move on. But don’t cry over losing a race. You knew those were the odds. Don’t expect and award either… you lost.
That’s the thing though, are they wrong for lamenting over a loss of that magnitude? I think it could go either way. And like in your example, being in the top 12 isn’t bad at all and is no small feat in and of itself.. But is it ENOUGH? 🙂 We all know there can only be one but do you think competitors as a whole should be at peace with the fact that they might not be that one?
No. Why settle? Why be at peace with mediocre? If you know you can do better. Then compete again. Why be comfortable financially when you know you have the potential for more? Why just go to church when you can give your life to God? At everything you do, do your best. Motto for a balanced life.
I only partially agree with this. If we never found a place that we feel we could settle, most people would work themselves until they’re in their grave.
I think it all depends on what they want out of their personal lives…ie. say I want to become a millionaire, once I become a millionaire should I then try to become a multi millionaire because I feel like I can? Maybe, maybe not. But at that point the primary goal is at least finally accomplished.