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Blogs > Shiverfish
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Shiverfish
Profile Blog Joined September 2007
Canada95 Posts
March 08 2009 05:45 GMT
#1
One of the primary drivers or motivators I have is competition. It is in my nature to be very competitive in all aspects of life. I have also been reasonably successful in remaining at the top. It is impossible to be number one at everything at all times. But at least to be considered a top tier candidate is very important to me. The glory, prestige, praise, and opened opportunities become addictive, and it may sometimes be difficult to return to a mid or low tier status.

The precursor that gives rise to competition is our peers, or other people. We see in other people the materials and gifts that we covet for ourselves and become naturally envious. Without competition, perhaps I would be content as a country boy living on a farm, spending my days working just enough to enable my subsistence. But being aware of the life of luxury that are enjoyed by others around the world, I become jealous and strive for more.

Up until now, in most everything I have deemed important to my life, I have had respectable success. Since academic achievement has such a huge influence on our career opportunities, most people place it as their top priority. I went to school, by pure chance, in a very competitive environment. It was a public school, and the teachers and students were of very high quality. I will not justify this claim, even though I could, as I prefer you just take my word for it. I was not the top of the class, but I was certainly top tier. Considering my little time spent on work and studying, I relished my exceptional ranking. I almost pitied those who could not achieve the same level of adeptness. It felt like they would never be able to catch up to my greatness.

I can remember one incidence that particularly stands out in my mind. My teacher in the elementary school had recognized my talent. One day I submitted a writing assignment for evaluation. Later, after he had marked them, he called me up to his desk and told me that my submission was merely average. “This piece is OK, but not exceptional. It’s good, but it doesn’t really stand above the crowd. Are you willing to settle with that?” he said. “I know you can do better.” This teacher may seem somewhat favouritist with unusual disrespect for his worser students, but he was one of the best teachers I have ever had. At that time, I was just a little kid. Teachers respected my abilities, but I was no a stranger to the intermittent non-stellar marks I might receive sometimes. Yet this was the first time anyone called me out for it, so bluntly and directly, I was caught off guard. This didn’t really instill a drastic change in my drive for perfection, but I thought it a story worth sharing.

The other important competition in elementary school was athletics. I excelled in this as well, of course. Though not the very top athlete in my grade, I was certainly again top tier. That distinction would probably belong to my very best friend at the time. I loved sports and could dominate in most any competition. Once again I cherished my gifts and knew that others were not so lucky and could only aspire to reach the heights I sat at.

Further along the road to growing up, academic competition increases. People became obstacles to my path of success. It’s not just that the pool of competitors increases as we move on to college, but that stakes are much higher. I was still top tier but this was no longer very relevant. Too much of my destiny was left up to chance. Per Trevelyan: “Half of everything is luck.” “And the other half?” “Fate.” It no longer mattered I surpassed my peers in skill when their road to success was based more than just merit.

The spots and opportunities for success narrow out at the top. I dislike people around if only for the very fact that we strive for the same goals which are in limited supply. One’s loss is another person’s gain. The most painful part is when a person is rewarded an opportunity at the expense of shutting me out, when I am totally confident that I was a better candidate and could do the job several times better. The mentality is: get out of my way, I can do it better.

I know I sound like an immature spoiled brat whining about not getting what I want. But I do not wish to leave that impression. I hastily acknowledge there are thousands of geniuses out there that make me look like an idiot. I have the greatest respect for these individuals and bow to their talent. However, I am sure we can all relate to the frustration when the undeserving steal the ends you covet and deserve so much more than they do.


*
Carnivorous Sheep
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
Baa?21243 Posts
March 08 2009 05:55 GMT
#2
I read the whole thing and I don't understand what your point is.

Is this just a way for you to brag about your above-average academic and athletic talents?
TranslatorBaa!
Heyoka
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Katowice25012 Posts
March 08 2009 06:00 GMT
#3
You try way too hard to use big words and complex sentences
@RealHeyoka | ESL / DreamHack StarCraft Lead
SpiritoftheTunA
Profile Blog Joined August 2006
United States20903 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-03-08 06:11:55
March 08 2009 06:09 GMT
#4
ur a douchebag mang

edit: tbh i'm kinda of similar, cept i'm not that competitive for the sake of.. being competitive... at all..

but like, i see no rason why you'd post this other than to be a douchebag
posting on liquid sites in current year
EsX_Raptor
Profile Blog Joined February 2008
United States2801 Posts
March 08 2009 06:17 GMT
#5
im extremely competitive, but in terms of my friends
Divinek
Profile Blog Joined November 2006
Canada4045 Posts
March 08 2009 06:18 GMT
#6
On March 08 2009 15:00 heyoka wrote:
You try way too hard to use big words and complex sentences


This.

I'm seriously confused by you. Mr top tier.
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Oh goodness me, FOX tv where do you get your sight? Can't you keep track, the puck is black. That's why the ice is white.
SpiritoftheTunA
Profile Blog Joined August 2006
United States20903 Posts
March 08 2009 06:20 GMT
#7
if you were smart as you claim to be your sentences would be much more fluid!
posting on liquid sites in current year
JeeJee
Profile Blog Joined July 2003
Canada5652 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-03-08 06:29:01
March 08 2009 06:23 GMT
#8
this was painful to read
but it sums up as

i was always pro as a kid, but now this idiot got hired instead of me. wtf is up with that, i'm upset!

oh and for what it's worth, people always remember their child years in a better light than they actually were. there's been studies done, the one that pops in my head is related to recalling marks obtained in highschool by people freshly graduated from college. you'd think only 4 years, they would still roughly remember what they got, but across the board, people remembered their grades as higher than they actually were.
maybe you weren't/aren't so great after all =O plus how exactly do you define top tier? in your school? that's not exactly solid competition. if you're talking provincial or national level, then i could see that.
(\o/)  If you want it, you find a way. Otherwise you find excuses. No exceptions.
 /_\   aka Shinbi (requesting a name change since 27/05/09 ☺)
Etherone
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
United States1898 Posts
March 08 2009 06:23 GMT
#9
they are not undeserving, you simply are missing that they might have put more effort into what both of you were trying to achieve.

hypothetical to clear this up
an intelligent put in 30% of his maximum effort to obtain a 90% score
an extremely intelligent person put in 20% of his maximum effort to obtain a 90% score

Assuming you were in the extremely intelligent category it is clear to you that if you put 15% effort and the intelligent competitor place 70% of his effort you will be completely shadowed not only by his results but also the commitment the ones judging will see he invested.
GGQ
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
Canada2653 Posts
March 08 2009 06:31 GMT
#10
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretentious
NeVeR
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
1352 Posts
March 08 2009 06:44 GMT
#11
yubee
Profile Blog Joined May 2006
United States3826 Posts
March 08 2009 06:46 GMT
#12
most people on this site are smart enough to "stand above the rest", you will realize soon that you're not really that special, and hopefully someday that life isn't a race
GhostKorean
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
United States2330 Posts
March 08 2009 06:48 GMT
#13
Just wondering, do you even play Starcraft?
Avidkeystamper
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
United States8552 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-03-08 06:51:53
March 08 2009 06:49 GMT
#14
This probably isn't related, but I was walking along the sidewalk and reading a book, and as I cross the street, the car at the corner next to me starts moving forward and I kept my pace until it was 2 feet away from me and I leapt out of the way. I was like WTF!, right of passage, and look at the driver to see an old lady with an angry grimace on her face. Seriously, that pissed me off for some reason. If I didn't move, the car would've hit me. WAAAY off-topic, probably. Sry.
Edit: I just realized that I thought this could've been related because of the blog title.
Jaedong
EchOne
Profile Blog Joined January 2008
United States2906 Posts
March 08 2009 06:49 GMT
#15
Whatever time you invested in this could've been better spent advancing yourself. Learn to make your own luck, or the masses will pass you by. Even pigeons fly.
面白くない世の中, 面白くすればいいさ
Fontong
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
United States6454 Posts
March 08 2009 06:51 GMT
#16
Lol this is crappy writing for sure

way to be bombastic prick
[SECRET FONT] "Dragoon bunker"
PriitM
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Algeria181 Posts
March 08 2009 06:52 GMT
#17
--- Nuked ---
Fontong
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
United States6454 Posts
March 08 2009 06:57 GMT
#18
Btw I should make a blog about how I'm like god except that I exist and god doesn't.
[SECRET FONT] "Dragoon bunker"
Sunhay
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
Canada303 Posts
March 08 2009 06:57 GMT
#19
........................what? why is this even on here?
www.sunhay.net
SayaSP
Profile Blog Joined February 2007
Laos5494 Posts
March 08 2009 06:59 GMT
#20
Whoa, those words are long as heck
[iHs]SSP | I-NO-KI BOM-BA-YE | のヮの http://tinyurl.com/MLIStheCV , MLIS.
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