Do you feel extreme competiveness is an integral aspect of human nature or is it acquired through greed?

Answer 1

I think there is a little competitiveness in people, but the sort of competitiveness we see around us, here, in the modern West, comes from cultural pressures.

We've built our institutions around a minor, and not necessarily common, trait, and it's become destructive. A little, friendly, competitiveness is fine for sports and some games, but it's not very clever to try to create a society from it. I think we can do a better than that.

Answer 2

Psychologically speaking, being competetive and greedy both stem from similar situations in the human life cycle. A deep inferiority complex can create a need in humans to beat, excel and challenge in any situation whether it be work or a card game.

I believe for it to be human in nature it must be an evolved trait - none of which I have seen or studied in the animal world. Most extremely competetive people I have come in contact with were more satisfied with the praise than the prize - the recognition was the stimulant. In the animal world you see a constant competing nature to survive - you never see a cheetah kill another animal and then go to a parent or sibling for praise. They are doing it strictly for survival - it's never extreme but a constant flow and a natural thing.

Answer 3

Being competitive is OK, but greed comes from our nature to want things in life. extreme competitiveness doesn't come from greed, it's the other way around. Friendly competition is great for us. We can grow and actually better ourselves in doing so. Being greedy is removing the competition; also known as cheating. Why compete? When we can cheat? That motto sucks, but it's true with many people. Just keep our distance from them. Know that greed is here to stay, and learn how to overcome greed, how to counter greedy moves against you or your family and friends. Some times I wonder what it would be like to be greedy and lie steal and cheat to come up in life. I look at those others who actually do this and thank the Man upstairs that I am not that way. I just wish there was an easier way for me. It's hard to see others cheat in life and have it good in their life, financially. I just try to stay focused on what I need to do, and hope I don't ever slip.

Answer 4

I think competitiveness is an integral aspect of human nature. Extreme competitveness is the result of something being out of balance - it is most likely "acquired" as a result of a strong unmet need. Greed is just one manifestation.

Answer 5

Human nature. More than that: Natural selection in a nutshell. Only the strong survive, but strength without ambition, while peaceful enough (like my doper cousin Bob), just isnt nature's way. Greed is nothing more than a byproduct of natural selection. The squirrel with the biggest nuts gets the girlie squirrels and, more importantly, gives his offspring a greater chance of survival.

Answer 6

I think there might be a basic response toward selfishness, but most greed is built into us through years of socialization. Even if it was part of human nature, it would not be at all unreasonable to demand that we go beyond it - after all, we are a species that can travel into space. If that's not defying "nature," then I'm not entirely certain what IS.

Answer 7

the key word in your question is EXTREME, and because is extreme then i do think that is acquired through greed. As human beings we all compete in our every day lifes, from being the best of two sibblings to being the best in class or buying the best custom or eating the best food.

Answer 8

I wouldn't call it greed, but rather "Ego." I fear all humans are born with a degree of ego, which can be the nature of our wrongs and the extreme competitiveness may be the character defective way of acting out on it. This is why Communism has never worked, ego. If you aren't a communist by the time you're 20, you aren't too smart. If you're still a communist by the time you're 40, you still aren't too smart.

Answer 9

Since the beginning of time life has competed to survive. The weak have always perished and the strong have evolved. Competitive nature is something ingrained into our very existence, it is part of our human conscience.

Answer 10

People who go to the "extreme" have problems, but in general they are just overboard on what is natural. People did and do have to compete to survive. Poorer places have to compete for natural resources, richer places have to compete for jobs and pay to help themselves and their family survive. Yes, it is nature, like most other species.