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Adolescence

Does competition help or hurt young people?

Results so far:

Help
80% 710 votes Total: 884 votes
Hurt
20% 174 votes

The beliefs and views of modern society and the people living in it varies greatly from person to person. By the time an individual matures from a young child to an adult, they have been taught an uncountable number of life lessons. Some believe that the best lesson and preparation for life is learning to work with others & be co-operative while others feel that a competitive environment is a better option. However, in my opinion a co-operative environment is a better preparation for life rather than a competitive one because one gets to learn more from a co-operative environment than from the latter one.

To cooperate is to operate or work together as a single unit. Cooperative concepts are beneficial in personal, professional and social life. Everything made by humans is produced cooperatively, from a simple manufactured device such as a ballpoint pen to a huge building. Almost everything we use and depend on in our everyday life is produced and brought to us by the coordinated actions of many other people, and each individual involved in this production process relies on many other goods and services that are also generated cooperatively. It is an ongoing cycle.

In real life situations it is hard to maintain positive feelings about someone with whom you are competing. Hurt feelings and arguments often result from competitive play, however in a cooperative one; challenge, discovery, and success are all shared. Emphasis is on participation, acceptance, and the "joy of play". In the end, your relationship with each other counts .This way individuals especially children gain stronger bonds with parents, siblings, and playmates. It also helps children in their future lives as they are able to cooperate easily with their partners no matter what the circumstances are.

Competition makes it difficult to share our skills, experiences, and resources because each person is separately involved in his or her exclusive goal. In our schools, and work places, students and employees are often taught to regard each other not as potential collaborators, but rather as opponents, rivals, and obstacles to their own success. In cooperative settings, the challenge shifts from "striving to be number one" to working toward a mutual goal. Decision making becomes easy and it makes the team strong and united.

Most competitive situations are highly stressful. The possibility of failure creates agitation and anxiety. The fear or anger generated from being


Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:

Does competition help or hurt young people?

Hurt
  • 1 of 20

    by Randy Browne

    Ancient China has a number of sayings about competition. To name just a few (from memory; not claimed to be direct qu...read more

  • 2 of 20

    by margaret hillcroft

    Competition. Where would we be without it? That is a question worthy of serious consideration. Does it hurt young p...read more

Help
  • 1 of 66

    by Jerry Curtis

    Competition, within reasonable limits, is not only healthy, but vital for a young person's readiness to succeed in li...read more

  • 2 of 66

    by Dee Cain

    Competition is indeed good for our adolescents. It builds character and prepares them for life. It teaches them to gi...read more

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