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| Help | 81% | 974 votes | Total: 1206 votes | |
| Hurt | 19% | 232 votes |
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Almighty Allah has endowed man with immense abilities, capabilities and rich talents and potentials. What we need it to recognize these untapped and latent talents and use them to our great advantage. Our youth is rich in talent. They have great power residing within themselves waiting to be used and translated into action to benefit many in the long run. In order to let the world know and appreciate their talent, our youth needs competitive environment to work even better and perform astonishing deeds befitting to their potential and abilities. A healthy competition always enables them to prune the rough edges and further enhance their skills and abilities.
Complacency and absence of healthy competition is a slow poison for them. Being complacent means losing sight of great goals and achievements, which are otherwise very much attainable if they are determined to work hard to get them. Our strong opponent and fierce competitor is a blessing in disguise for us, giving us fillip to work a little harder than ever to prove ourselves to be equally strong in competition. Such a competition must not hurt our talented youth; rather it should be a harbinger of their great success in times ahead.
Our difficulties, problems, adversities, unfavorable circumstances actually groom us and prepare us for even greater challenges in times ahead. A good and precious diamond must undergo a test of fire. Therefore, our youth is supposed to grasp this very fact the avoidance of competition won't help them. The more mistakes they make while taking part in competition, the better it is for them, for now they have come to know of their weak areas or vulnerable points. Lucky are those who are timely told about their shortcomings, defects and flaws so that they may overcome them to be successful in their future endeavors. Those who are unaware of their mistakes will hardly be in a position to correct and reform themselves before it is too late, and they are left with no choice but lamentation and repentance.
Our world is getting more and more competitive. Survival for the fittest can aptly describe the rat race we witness among people these days to outdo and surpass others in an attempt to reap or gain worldly benefits. It is, therefore, indispensable, for everyone of us, especially our youth to rise to the occasion and face the challenges and exigencies of time, and prove to be equally good to their fierce competitors, who are actually blessings in disguise for them. Therefore, our youth is supposed to be eager for the fray to move ahead with sincerity of purpose and purity of intentions to meet resounding success in days to come.
Learn more about this author, Khadim Hussain.
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Hurt
One of my favorite childhood stories is of a society that strives to make everyone average. Ballerina dancers wear weights on their legs to make them awkward and clumsy. Television newscasters have speech impediments. The society wants to spare hurt feelings, so no one is permitted to be good at anything. Towards the end of the short story, one man breaks free of all of his weights and constraints and shows his incredible talents and capabilities in front of a camera. The leader of the society shoots him dead; the spectators quickly forget about what they saw because of the frequent beeps in their ears that makes concentration, and thus high intelligence, almost impossible.
Of course, a society that promotes mediocrity as this one does would be a horrifying place to live. Children and adults alike should always be encouraged to do their best. Our newscasters should be able to speak clearly, our dancers should be able to dance beautifully, and our great thinkers should be able to think.
But I believe that people have it wrong when they determine that it is the competition in youth that develops this greatness. In my experiences with working with children of all ages, competition does not breed greatness. Allowing children to shine, and then giving genuine encouragement and praise breeds greatness.
I teach Language Arts. I have yet to pull a student to the front of the classroom, hold up a story that he has written, and announce to the rest of the class that he is the best writer in my class, so he will receive the Most Valuable Student Award for the year. I am certain I would be harshly chastised for doing something like this, as I would certainly deserve. Instead, I go to my students and genuinely point out good things about their writings, showing them areas to improve, and encouraging them to continue working and being better.
Even in sports, I have noticed that the cooperation within the teams generates the better character and stronger confidence than does the competition between the teams. Even in cross country and track, where many of the events are individualized, the children seem to come together as a team, and this is what brings them confidence and strength. In my opinion, the only positive element of watching someone lose is watching the rest of the team surround that person and show him or her acceptance and give praise after the loss. The cooperation and support brings the true benefit, not the competition and the loss.
Some people will argue that people have to compete all of their lives, so they might as well start young in order to learn. Actually, most jobs are looking for people who have strong cooperation skills, not strong competitive skills. An employer at the top level would rather have someone who, after developing a great idea, would then go to her fellow employees to get help to make the idea even better, rather than a person who would try to hoard all of the glory for herself and thus make a product that is much less valuable. Cooperation, not competition, breeds excellence.
Every child is good at something. Encouragement and praises enhance what children can do well. Competition focuses upon what children do not do well. Encouragement, praises, and cooperation are what brings about the best in our new generations.
Learn more about this author, Crystal Loveless.
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