Just got back from an academic conference in my field. I had a student entering the undergraduate research competition there. I had been going on for months about how I couldn't wait for us to go down there and kick some butt and show them what we could do. Well, he was supposed to compete in the poster division. Due to a bunch of screw-ups on the part of the organizers (which I found early on and asked several times to have fixed), his poster was not actually judged as part of the competition. They judged his talk instead, but of course we hadn't prepared quite as well for that. Somewhere along the line, I finally realized that it was the student who was having to compete, not me, and there was a time when I should shut up and let him do his thing. It wasn't easy, though. It felt helpless being "out in the stands" watching, and it will probably take a long time for me to get over being upset about our poster not being judged. The whole point of these things is supposed to be getting there and sharing your research. The competition isn't supposed to be that important. However, when I see a chance to do something like that, I really get into it. I may tell the student far ahead of time to "prepare for life not to be fair", but I don't like it when it happens. I also start getting fiercely competitive and wanting to do anything I can to win or at least get recognized, since we're out there trying to prove ourselves. If it was a music or athletic competition, I probably would have done the same thing. I don't know why, because I'm the type who never wins anything, but it just makes me want to come out and show them the next time. I guess right now I just want some place, some opportunity, to go out there and kick some butt, but there's nowhere I can do it. I can't get too intense about these things, though, or no student will ever want to work with me again. Just because I would put that kind of pressure on myself doesn't mean they want to be involved in it. If this keeps up I am going to be the world's worst soccer mom one day. So, is this a familar feeling for any of you? Does anyone else ever find themselves getting too competitive?
think about it though . . . Tetherball is perfect for old out of shape dudes trying to relive past glory. .. or at least seem like they doing physical activity Rocket River
Every once in a while my girlfriend and I will play cards with either her family, my family, or just some other friends. and whenever that happens she gets too into it, and I'm not going to lose to her so I also get too intense. We either end up making underhanded sarcastic comments at each other or scaring away people from the game. One time I beat her at something and we were using change to bet on the games, so she somewhat jokingly threw a nickel at me. I didn't see it coming so while I was smiling and soaking up my win it hits me in the left incisor and chips a piece off. After that incident we both agreed we would stick to team activities in order to take our competetiveness out on other peole
i am far too competitive, no matter the competition. basketball would be the place i get to be competitive most often, and i get extremely pissed when we lose and i don't think we should have. i love the challenge of trying to win even if you're probably not the better team. yesterday, in a 2 on 2 game my team got down 12-4 in a game to 15 and i just decided we weren't going to lose and i proceeded to go crazy and help us win 15-12 while scoring all but one point. and if we had lost, i'm pretty sure i would've thrown something or gone home real pissed off, even though the game didn't mean anything. hell, when i don't get a chance to play basketball for a while, i find i don't so much miss the actual playing as much as i miss the competing. being happy about winning or pissed about losing drives me and i love it. and i'm even worse when i'm at home playing with friends. there is no such thing as "playing for fun" for me. i find i immediately start disliking everyone on the other team as soon as a game starts. then there's board games, where i had one legendary board smashing/pieces flying everywhere experience about 30 minutes into a Risk game. hell, when i'm driving and i can either get behind someone in a lane before i exit or get in front of them, i'll get in front just b/c it's like i won some imaginary game by doing it. i'm way too competitive but i can't change it.
my roommate and i had to pretty much stop playing video games against each other (especially tecmo super bowl and ncaa football 2k4) b/c we'd just get so pissed. whoever lost would practically not speak for the rest of the night and would feel like somehow the game had cheated them. so we basically just had to stop doing it.
Competitive? Yea, I have been known to be too competitive. It is one of the reasons why I quit playing softball and basketball. I got tired of taking it too seriously. However, I am thinking about getting up a church league softball team in a couple of months. But if it is not going to be one of the best teams out there (at least in my mind), then I don't want to waste my time with it. I can't see myself ever getting to the point of doing something (in terms of competition whether athletics or games or other things) just "for fun".
Tecmo bowl caused a controller to go out the window in college. But I was on the winning side. So it wasn't me.
Nothing wrong with being competitive. I want to win whenever I play sports or board games. Last week I went to my girl's parents place and her dad has a pool table in the basement. He said let's play - all you guys from England play pool in the pubs. I told him I didn't play but played anyway. Of course he hammered me. So when I got home I joined the local snooker club. I'll get my revenge next time! muahahahahaaaaaaaaa....... When I have kids I'll teach them to go all out to win. None of this rubbish about it's all about the taking part that counts. Wanting to win/be the best is the best way to keep improving yourself(at whatever you do).
I've been told I'm too competitive. Whenever I play any sport or game, I'm playing it to beat the other person (or at least give them a fight). I don't shoot pool to enjoy hitting the pretty balls around. I'm trying to beat you. I don't play golf because I like hitting the cute little white ball. I'm trying to beat you. cards, dominoes,... any sport or game. A couple of weeks ago, I got together with Fatty and some other BBS guys to play Golden Tee and watch the Rockets game. I had a great time and I won the game, but, in truth, I was pretty pumped about playing GT and trying to beat the other guys. Being extremely competitive isn't bad. In fact, I think it's great. But it's really important to learn how to properly handle winning and losing. If you win, you can't flaunt it in front of other people. If you lose you can't let it get you down and prevent you from trying again. If you lose, take it as a challenge to try again and win. I've played golf with a friend who is better then I am for about 2 years. I've never beaten him. But every time we play, I'm trying to beat him and I won't let my losses get me down. Stay competitive. Keep trying. -- droxford
