I watch reality television. Mostly competitions like Masterchef
and The Voice. Not Survivor or American Idol, oh no, that’s a bit too contrived for
me. What I find, especially on the shows which deal with specific skills like
cooking or singing, is that the participants invariably get a lot better the
longer they are on the show. And in their carefully edited interviews, the participants also
remark on how much they have learned, how they have been pushed to do better
than they ever dreamed, and how they discovered something deep inside
themselves that they were never quite sure they had.
But something about these shows has always bothered me a bit, and it is this. Is the competitive platform the only way to get the best out of people? Must we be pitted against each other in order to personally succeed? Why must we always compare ourselves to others? Why must others be eliminated in order for me to get ahead?
Most of our culture is based on competition: our entertainment, our education,…
But something about these shows has always bothered me a bit, and it is this. Is the competitive platform the only way to get the best out of people? Must we be pitted against each other in order to personally succeed? Why must we always compare ourselves to others? Why must others be eliminated in order for me to get ahead?
Most of our culture is based on competition: our entertainment, our education,…