More on competition

Quah Seng Sun says something on competition. Here.

There is of course 2 ways to treat chess. One as a hobby and the other as a competitive sport. In his article, it looks like Quah's assessment is that when we compete it's about egos. I think it should be about ideas and changing oneself. But his views are interesting and does show the mentality of the current "war" of words.

Let me give you an analogy. A lecturer teaches a subject on the board. And he has 20 students. Not all 20 will receive the lessons in the same way. Some will absorb more, pay more attention and apply what they hear.

So you will have some who excel and some wont. The students are in competition to be the best. Now is the competition about egos and then trying to knock out the ones that are doing better by slander, shouting down etc?

I dont think so. I think if you missed the lesson then pay more attention. Engage the information and be better.

Think on it. Have we understood competition wrongly? Is it about egos, putting the other down or changing oneself so that you can achieve too? Is that why we dont have a GM?