Also, Kohn points out the following: if a person were described as "competitive," would that make you to be their friend more or less? Most people I have spoken to said "less." Further evidence that Kohn is onto something.
Still, as a person who grew up with basketball, I am having a tough time coming to terms that competition might not be the best thing. There are obviously degrees of competition, and I am trying to sort out if my level of competitiveness (play basketball every other day, don't really care if I win...much) is healthy. Perhaps "none" is the only healthy level, and perhaps some is okay. I am not sure. I'll have to re-read Kohn's book.
posted by Dirk Awesome @ 5:11 PM
2 Comments:
If there was no competition, would there even have been a football game? Does Kohn have a clear definition of "competition"?
For example, would you say that Shane Battier is competitive - in the same way Kobe is?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/magazine/15Battier-t.html
If there weren't competition, there wouldn't have been a football game. He argues against these competitive activities.
I'm paraphrasing here, but Kohn roughly defines competition as "an event where, in order for one person to succeed, another must fail."
Aaron - you were a witness to Kohn's influence on my life when we played that cooperative board game in Cambridge.
I don't think that Battier is competitive like Kobe, but he is still competitive.
Post a Comment
<< Home