On comparism and competitions
Today, while walking down university avenue, I had a short chat about comparism and competition.
Such a topic came up naturally in the context of the results of the placement tests which were just released. Within the Singaporean community, there were some who placed with full 3 credits, some with 2 credits, and some with none.
Having seen my fair share of competitions, I have come to dislike competitions and similarly, I loathe to compare results. Whenever I mix with Singaporeans, I usually crinch when I hear the standard questions 'how were your a levels' or 'how did you do for such and such a test' or 'what s papers did you take'.
Now comparism and competition, I believe, is a double edged sword.
On one hand, comparing results serve as a source of motivation; where perhaps if you had spent a lot of time playing and ended up screwing up a paper, while the rest of your friends get nice results, it would remind you to work harder before ending up with something like second lowers. Or for example, competitions would serve as a source of motivation a pinnacle to work towards. (Note to self: Not to have a crush again on anyone who is attached)
Now why do I hate competitions and comparisms in that case? This has to do with the amount of negative emotions it generates. Imagine a competition. 1 winner. 1 happy person. What about everyone else? More primitively, if 2 girls are chasing after the same guy, perhaps 2 of them will live happily ever after. What about the 3rd person? How about the amount of jealousy, hate, sadness generated? ( I mean that is if they are not malays). Does the positive emotions generated in so few people outweigh the negative emotions generated in so many?
Similarly, why do people like to compare results?
Scenerio 1:
SmartyPants: So how did you do for the test?(Having just scored 99/100)
ZR: Oh... I got a C
SmartyPants: Oh dear, never mind work harder next time(Giving ZR a pat... what a dumbass!)
ZR: Thanks! Oh, how did you do for it?
SP: Oh! I got an A (Happily gloating)
ZR: Heh (Feeling even worse than before meeting SP)
So what has been achieved? 1) SP's ego has been satisfied. 2) At the expense of ZR
For me, I'm particularly sensitive to when people are feeling sad and have the unfortunate tendancy to feel sad also when someone else is feeling sad. This could explain why I no longer derive joy from winning competitions. Satisfaction, yes. But no longer the sense of happiness I used to feel.
Bleh. It's 2130 and I've a freaking physics paper tomorrow. Time to study and thrash all the other physics wannabes =X.
Such a topic came up naturally in the context of the results of the placement tests which were just released. Within the Singaporean community, there were some who placed with full 3 credits, some with 2 credits, and some with none.
Having seen my fair share of competitions, I have come to dislike competitions and similarly, I loathe to compare results. Whenever I mix with Singaporeans, I usually crinch when I hear the standard questions 'how were your a levels' or 'how did you do for such and such a test' or 'what s papers did you take'.
Now comparism and competition, I believe, is a double edged sword.
On one hand, comparing results serve as a source of motivation; where perhaps if you had spent a lot of time playing and ended up screwing up a paper, while the rest of your friends get nice results, it would remind you to work harder before ending up with something like second lowers. Or for example, competitions would serve as a source of motivation a pinnacle to work towards. (Note to self: Not to have a crush again on anyone who is attached)
Now why do I hate competitions and comparisms in that case? This has to do with the amount of negative emotions it generates. Imagine a competition. 1 winner. 1 happy person. What about everyone else? More primitively, if 2 girls are chasing after the same guy, perhaps 2 of them will live happily ever after. What about the 3rd person? How about the amount of jealousy, hate, sadness generated? ( I mean that is if they are not malays). Does the positive emotions generated in so few people outweigh the negative emotions generated in so many?
Similarly, why do people like to compare results?
Scenerio 1:
SmartyPants: So how did you do for the test?(Having just scored 99/100)
ZR: Oh... I got a C
SmartyPants: Oh dear, never mind work harder next time(Giving ZR a pat... what a dumbass!)
ZR: Thanks! Oh, how did you do for it?
SP: Oh! I got an A (Happily gloating)
ZR: Heh (Feeling even worse than before meeting SP)
So what has been achieved? 1) SP's ego has been satisfied. 2) At the expense of ZR
For me, I'm particularly sensitive to when people are feeling sad and have the unfortunate tendancy to feel sad also when someone else is feeling sad. This could explain why I no longer derive joy from winning competitions. Satisfaction, yes. But no longer the sense of happiness I used to feel.
Bleh. It's 2130 and I've a freaking physics paper tomorrow. Time to study and thrash all the other physics wannabes =X.
posted by Anonymous at 6:56 PM
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