Things That I Didn't Learn in Kindergarten
I came across this movie today, which is quite interesting to me. I never really cared a whole lot about the steroid issue when I was younger (or even now, to tell the truth). I suppose that this might stem from the fact that I don't care a whole lot about sports and so this is a non-issue for me. Frankly, I'm more familiar with steroid use to help asthma, than I am to help build muscle.
But, as I've grown older, I'm able to start to put things together. The director of this film has an interesting point (I have not yet seen the movie, so this is only second-hand) but what has our culture come to with this incessant need to win? There is of course, the name of the movie itself, which I think points to many people's mentality about competition (and let's not forget the Olympics' motto with that event coming around the corner).
Has our national mentality shifted at all by the deluge of reality television shows filling the airwaves? I'm assuming that there is always the pressure to cheat in sports, so that's not of much interest--but it seems that a large portion of our viewing is spent watching unscripted television. And then, of these reality shows, a good half seem to be competition-based. And not just any competition, a competition where there can only be one winner! How has this cultural awareness affected the way in which we look at or approach challenges? Has it become just all about winning? Or maybe just not losing? I'm not sure.
I happened to catch an episode of "The Mole" where one of the contestants was talking about how he would do anything to win--including exploiting other player's weaknesses. Where do you draw the line between fair and foul play? In military strategy, it seems to be obvious that you should get an advantage where you can, but what about when the stakes aren't quite so high? Shouldn't players want to win, knowing that they beat out everybody else who was also playing his or her best? Doesn't that make the win more satisfying? Or are just so afraid that we won't measure up in that scenario and that we won't win? We'll take the win at any cost, because, in the end, that's what matters?
Game theory is it's own branch of study, but it seems fascinating to me that we must all learn how to play the game in some fashion. Whether it's office politics or relationships, it seems that so many situations that we encounter all have their own sets of rules and we have to learn how to play in order to stay in the game. Should we challenge each other to be the best that we can be, knowing that we will inevitably be let down when someone cheats? Or should we take a defensive stance, waiting and guarding against that eventual cheater? It's a tough call, I suppose.
But, as I've grown older, I'm able to start to put things together. The director of this film has an interesting point (I have not yet seen the movie, so this is only second-hand) but what has our culture come to with this incessant need to win? There is of course, the name of the movie itself, which I think points to many people's mentality about competition (and let's not forget the Olympics' motto with that event coming around the corner).
Has our national mentality shifted at all by the deluge of reality television shows filling the airwaves? I'm assuming that there is always the pressure to cheat in sports, so that's not of much interest--but it seems that a large portion of our viewing is spent watching unscripted television. And then, of these reality shows, a good half seem to be competition-based. And not just any competition, a competition where there can only be one winner! How has this cultural awareness affected the way in which we look at or approach challenges? Has it become just all about winning? Or maybe just not losing? I'm not sure.
I happened to catch an episode of "The Mole" where one of the contestants was talking about how he would do anything to win--including exploiting other player's weaknesses. Where do you draw the line between fair and foul play? In military strategy, it seems to be obvious that you should get an advantage where you can, but what about when the stakes aren't quite so high? Shouldn't players want to win, knowing that they beat out everybody else who was also playing his or her best? Doesn't that make the win more satisfying? Or are just so afraid that we won't measure up in that scenario and that we won't win? We'll take the win at any cost, because, in the end, that's what matters?
Game theory is it's own branch of study, but it seems fascinating to me that we must all learn how to play the game in some fashion. Whether it's office politics or relationships, it seems that so many situations that we encounter all have their own sets of rules and we have to learn how to play in order to stay in the game. Should we challenge each other to be the best that we can be, knowing that we will inevitably be let down when someone cheats? Or should we take a defensive stance, waiting and guarding against that eventual cheater? It's a tough call, I suppose.