compulsive_winners_are_making_everything_suck dafremen There are axioms about competition which bear repeating if only because they are so disregarded these days: "You win some, you lose some." "It isn't whether you win or lose, but how you play the game." These are ideologies of a bygone era that appreciated the art of people entertaining one another (and perhaps spectators) by pushing the limits of their abilities in open, spirited competition. These sayings are important because they describe competition, acquisition and healthy mental and emotional attitudes toward them. It's not the win. It's how hard you pushed yourself. How well you executed. What level of your abilities was demonstrated during the event. How well you added to the enjoyment experienced by all who participate. The score is there to motivate..not to dictate. Humans choose their behavior in the game. Not the points. But increasingly we see this "win at all costs" attitude being glorified because it is rewarded and it is making everything suck. They've made pro sports so boring (by always playing it safe) that everyone's turning to fantasy leagues and college games, where at least the players are young enough to be rebellious and motivated to impress any scouts in the stands. Hell, local high school games are being broadcast..because not knowing what the hell you're going to see next is part of the fun of a spectator sport I suppose. But hey, even that's coming to an end, generation after generation, duplicated strategy after duplicated strategy..as "Win! That's all you're here to do is WIN WIN WIN!" gets pounded into the heads of children on the gridirons, diamonds and courts as early as elementary school. Way to go winners! You brainwashed little kids and turned team sporting events into to an endless rerun of tedium! Yay! You win. This attitude permeates the world of business, where social conscience takes a back seat to "dog eat dog" and the quest to acquire "points" in the form of wealth (well beyond any need for survival or attainable level of happiness.) No one thinks twice about buying politicians so they can poison water supplies to sell gas. So now these winners have made life in those places SUCK. Their water bursts into flames. That SUCKS! But the so-called winners" just say "jealous" and hire lots of lawyers. (In private I think the lawyers high five each other and say things like "owned" and "raped" after they "win.") So the lawyers make things suck coming AND going, because in addition, because these "winners" out of law school had to invent ways to support themselves by creating stupid frivolous lawsuits, the prices of everything went up. That sucks. Not only that, but some things we used to be able to enjoy together in this great and amazing life are no longer allowed by many businesses or cities..simply because someone decided to sue on the advice of a lawyer who said they could get some points..er money...and be a winner. That sucks. Yay. You win. Hoo-f***ing-rah! And old cars used to last..forever practically. But someone was watching MPG points so they could win the EPA game and said "we need lighter parts." And the people in the budget department were trying to win the spreadsheet points game so they said "we need cheaper materials." And the people in sales were trying to win the salesman of the year award and the trip to Hawaii (not to mention the "i have more money" game) and so they said "we need to sell more parts and more cars. Can we make the parts cheap enough to last only until the warranty expires?" And the people in engineering were trying to win the respect and pay that come with being "smarty pants of the industry" and so they said "Sure! We can make this car completely fall apart after 5 years by using cheap lightweight, custom built parts!" And now our cars suck. Not just some of them. Most of them. When you compare them to the cars that are still running 50, 60, 100 years after they were built, modern cars are absolute throwaway garbage. Thanks winners. Yay. You win. Don't you feel like a winner, driving your piece-of-crap disposable car? And the bankers had to win the "I want your land" game and foreclosed on tens of thousands of houses that nobody wants to buy, but which the owners were still living in and maintaining. Now there is blight everywhere. The houses are crumbling and the grass grows long and is strewn with leftovers from the "winners make trash to make money" game. And its cheaper to pay off two politicians than it is to bulldoze scores of condemned homes or pay to mow 50,000 lawns. So that's what the banks do. And now those neighborhoods suck. No I mean they REALLY suck. The people are nice. They deserve better neighborhoods. But the blight in their neighborhoods..SUCKS. Thanks for taking your "money means everything" game so seriously that you tore neighbors from their communities and left their property to rot. Yay. You win. Like the f-ing Black Death you win. And I saw it coming. I saw it coming in the video game I've played now for nearly 16 years. I watched as every time the hyper-competitive "winners" of this game came on, the fun ended. It was always them playing the same "winning strategies", using the same cheap tactics. Soon the newer players caught on to the short cuts these guys were taking to rack up lots of points, and they followed suit. It didn't take 10 years for the whole game to become a series of repeats. Same strategies, same results, same boring cycle..match after match. Very few attempts at showing off, pushing the limits of the game..playing with style..win or lose. Here and there, like old college friends, you'd run into older players, who remembered. Some had given in and become "win at all costs" strategists themselves. Assimilated by the Borg that is a narrow-minded view of sport and competition. But there are also those who kept their heads up: Still don't shoot players who aren't moving. Still don't use the easy mass kill weapons and power ups like they were candy. Still try not to stand around the same spots looking for easy pot shots. Those guys are the winners in my book. And not just video game players that play with style, but also any bankers that see people and communities instead of just money and foreclosure rights. And here's proper respect to business people who take a smaller profit margin to invest in making a better product. Same for coaches who teach that fun and sportsmanship, tenacity and perseverance are the heart of sport..not points, wins and trophies. It's why the underdog winning is such a powerful sports movie moment. Not because of the win, but because of the struggle. I once wrote that strength is NOT about muscle or money or brains. Strength is that trait which allows something to succeed though the opposition is great. A strong smell can be smelled though many other smells are around which compete for the brain's attention. A strong muscle can overcome the resistance to gravity or physical forces which oppose it. A strong willed person can set their mind on a path that no amount of peer pressure or frowning by the neighbors can bar. To be strong is to do that which is difficult against overwhelming opposition. Doing what is right and best for all who play this game of life is a mark of great strength..and the sign of a true winner. Here's to everyone who puts their passion and their abilities into the pursuit of a better world for those around them, not the pursuit of some accolade, point, cash or comfort for themselves. Here's to you all. You're all winners. You don't make things suck. Yay. We all win. 140528 what's it to you? who go blather from