It is important to emerge victorious from within to be an example for others to follow, says Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj Ji
You just have to be better each day,” remember when they told you that? It’s one of the reasons why we see competition in all walks of life. In most cases, the competition may not also be what is called a cut-throat or a tough one but it may be what is known as a healthy competition. Nevertheless, one thing common to all of them — the underlying desire or motive to win or to defeat others.
From a psychological point of view, in a competitive situation, a person brings into play his skill, ability and talent to show that he is superior, stronger, better, more powerful, more skilful, more learned or “competent” than the others. They want to hear words of praise about themselves. Or maybe get a medallion, a citation, an epithet or a high position. Amid this, one does not mind if, on their way to finding success, someone else feels disappointed, depressed, defeated or even humiliated. In a sports match, too, we see how even if the competitors shake hands at the end of the game or later, hang out together, the deep feeling of having lost or having won is always there, however minimal it may be. However, this feeling of victory or defeat is proportionately less if the contest is just a friendly game or it’s a performance for fun and enjoyment and without any expectation of receiving any media attention. At that time, the players represent no one but themselves as members of interchangeable friendly groups and the whole thing is just for the sake of self-development or anything but a competition.
As a society, we need to understand that the core objective behind competition is not just to win for the self or the team, but it is intertwined with the motive of laying the softer and nobler sentiments of co-operation, kindness and gentleness. It is a distortion of intention or malignancy in the desire that may, sooner or later, add an iota of selfishness in behaviour and reduce the level of love, kindness, generosity and gentleness and may put a limit on one’s spirit of giving, helping, co-operation and sacrificing. For anything that is small and insignificant in the beginning has the potential of growing and becoming big. We must not forget that even a spark is enough to burn down a huge apartment to ashes and grow into a massive fire. We should be careful and vigilant because selfishness is contagious and this habit of rivalry can spoil the charm of life and the atmosphere around us.
Some people link competition to motivation of performing better but they fail to understand that this evil trait to defeat others, which may look harmless initially, may eventually develop feelings of revenge, enmity, jealousy, hostility or an ugly attitude.
The seed of evil, as it grows, takes the form of a huge tree with many branches of selfishness and feelings of downgrading others to gain ascendancy for the self. It’s time that one must try to curtail selfishness and, in this effort, give up the ambition of winning by vengeance for the applause and praise for the self. Remember, the only competition that should matter for us is the one that takes place within our self. Hence, it is better to defeat one’s inner demons first and become victorious from within to be an example for others to follow.
