So I was just playing some games and I got to thinking, how many people are competitive? To what extent?

I know that I do not like to lose, but I am pretty good at being a good sport and congratulating the person who has, well, beaten me.

Does anyone have any stories about being overly competitive? Or of someone they played with/against that was?

Does it make a good drive - or does it ruin the game?

Essentially, is it good or bad?

Hi Smores. What a great question. I would have to say that a fueling factor to competitiveness is one's ego and ambition. An individual can expect to excel in particular tasks or challenges that he or she may face. For example, a co-worker wanted to bring in the most sales for the day. Thus, he had to compare his results with his fellow co-workers and continually analyze the losses and profits. The competitiveness came about him and drove him to focus on the task at hand. Would I say that competitiveness is a good factor? It depends. Sometimes it can be the ruin of you. Constantly comparing your abilities and skills with another person's can be detrimental to your mental stability and ultimately your health. I say that you should take it in small doses like everything else. Don't focus so much on the performance of others, but rather polishing your own.

Very well said, and I completely agree.
Like all things in life it is best in small doses.

Smores' doses are best. :yes: Haha.

I'm pretty competitive. I go into things with the sole intention of winning and anything less (even second or third) is just a dressed up word for loser. I'm really not all for the whole "it's the taking part that matters" thing that so many people are keen on saying whenever they lose. If I lose, I'll admit that I did and move on. I'm an incredibly sore loser and probably worse when I'm a winner. I get that from my dad. :lol: He actually did a victory lap one day when we were playing Bust A Move.

Playing with overly competitive people if you're competitive doesn't ruin the game, but a competitive person playing with someone who doesn't give a shiny one is a bad combination.

I've played with quite a few really competitive people. One day a group of friends and my at-the-time boyfriend were playing monopoly and it ended up with me and a friend being knocked out early on because the other two pair of bellends were ripping us off and we didn't have the on-board presence to shaft them. Since they were both the most competitive people playing, it ended up with my ex flipping the board over in anger, sending the houses flying all over the room because he had to liquidate some of his properties to stay in the game. :rofl:

All in all, it's good to be competitive. To me, it makes things more fun. Where's the joy in winning if you didn't play dirty and climb over others to reach the top? /shot

Competitions can be exciting. There is no doubt about that. As long as everyone is enjoying themselves, then there won't be any problems. *I hope.* :D

I usually don't enjoy myself if I'm losing haha.

We sometimes win and sometimes not win. hehe

I'm competitive but I also know that I can't win all the time and I'm okay with that. I like competing in things for the fun of it and pushing myself to do things I normally wouldn't. As for games, it's just fun to try to win. XD

I'd say it's a good thing when it's healthy but if someone is going to throw a fit over not winning then it just isn't cool.

I think that a certain amount of competitiveness is a good thing. It can drive people to do more, to be better. This is true with games, exercise (yes exercising can be -very- competitive), or any hobby you might have. Heck, even writing fan fictions and drawing fan art can feel competitive with the right friend.

If someone is so competitive that they have to have the best character and they feel like it ruins their game if they loose then there is a problem. I have a lot of friends like this. They are good people, but I can't stand to play games or the like with them. If it's a pen and paper rpg then they would create a character in such a way that they would basically take the glory. That's not fun for other people, though it may be fun for them.

Now, for my little competitive anecdote. My husband and I were doing a work out for P90X. It was the side-tri-rise move. Now, for this one we were only suppose to do 25 for each side. Well, my husband and I were facing each other and out eyes locked for a moment. There was an unspoken challenge there. We had to see who could do the most. We ended up doing 40 each side and collapsing in exhaustion. That is one painful workout if you do it right.

im not but i like people who are beacus it adds more challenge beacus they will try harder to beat you :3

I think being competitive is good. However, on an extreme level where it can affect your happiness or health is bad.
I think just accepting that you've lost is better than being overwhelmed by it.
And if you've won, then so what? well done to you but don't get too excited about it because it might affect your future wins/losses where you DON'T win.

WherededIGo:

I think it is a good thing, as it generally makes us strive to be better. At times things can get out of hand though. So I think it is more of a neutral thing, that gains good or bad qualities depending on the person in question. :]