COMPETITION VS COOPERATION

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From the book "THE GREAT DISCREPANCY" by Boris Kriger


We find ourselves standing on shaky ground when we consider competition as the primary driver in fields like business, science, and art. Indeed, this paradigm draws heavily from evolutionary mechanisms — fitting neatly into the theory of survival of the fittest. However, it's fundamentally a primitive and ruthless system, riddled with numerous shortcomings. In essence, our adoption of such an approach, despite its evident flaws, offers little to take pride in.
Let's take a closer look at this system, illustrated through some pointed examples. Predominantly, competition forces entities to devote an enormous amount of energy and resources to outpace others, often with the consequence of limited overall progress. This approach can inhibit the free exchange of ideas and knowledge, breeding secrecy instead of collaboration. Moreover, it frequently results in a "winner-takes-all" scenario, where the rewards are disproportionately concentrated among a few, leaving a vast majority in a perpetual struggle. The full potential of collective effort is thus lost in the quest for individual dominance.
These concerns only pertain to competition within the bounds of legality and ethics. The picture becomes grimmer when the lines blur and these parameters are pushed aside. Unfortunately, competition can sometimes instigate less than honorable behavior as players bend or even break the rules in an attempt to gain the upper hand.
Unfair practices and unethical maneuvers become justifiable in the eyes of the competitors, driven by the relentless quest for supremacy. Such an environment, thus, risks becoming a breeding ground for corruption and unscrupulous tactics. The repercussions of this darker side of competition ripple through the system, tainting its very essence, and casting a long shadow over its supposed benefits.
Cooperation, on the other hand, stands as another inherent motivation - one that also holds its roots in evolution, particularly evident among social animals. This approach, rather than pitting individuals against each other, fosters a culture of working together towards common goals.
In the grand scheme of evolution, cooperation has proven to be advantageous in many scenarios, facilitating survival and progression in ways that stark competition could not achieve. Social animals, from ants to dolphins, rely heavily on cooperative structures to build complex societies, hunt, defend, and even learn. By applying similar principles of mutual assistance and communal effort in our societal constructs - business, science, or art - we could tap into an equally beneficial dynamic, steering away from the ruthless "survival of the fittest" narrative.


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