When someone is doing his or her best within their limitations, then relatively comparing them with others is FOOLISHNESS. A Child who comes first in a race during his junior kg years cannot be Compared to Ben Johnson at that point of time. Both will be called successful within their Limitations. People many times forget that Competition is a motivation and not a Goal. What are your opinions on this ?
Unfortunately in America many, particularly in the media, break the rules. They do compare the child to the superstar. I think you are correct, in a child's younger years competition should be used as motivation, as well as many other things, like learning team concepts. Let the professional attempt to obtain the goal.
America has gone over board in one very important aspect of competition and the rewards of same. Now a days ALL children are treated as winners, all of them get a trophy and all of them share in the benefits. The problem comes as the children age and come to realize there are indeed others that are better than you. The child may wonder why she or he was treated so differently early in age than as an older child. I sometimes wonder if this sort differential treatment results in a young adult becoming a sociopath.
I agree that real competition should be with peers. I also believe children, no matter their standing with other, should be congratulated for their effort and those with a higher aptitude congratulated for their hard work for winning. I do not go along with the philosophy that all children should be discouraged from doing better than others so everyone can be at the same level and everyone should get a trophy. That's stifling the desire to excel when you know it won't be fair to the children not up to your level of excellence and will not be rewarded. It will also give the ones being taught they are just as smart as everyone else a very rude awakening when they interact with the real world. One of my daughter's friend is a teacher and is prohibited to grade any of the class with an A or an F. If there are those in the class that can't keep up, the progression to harder problems is halted until those at the bottom of the class, as far as learning, catch up. Very boring for those who are doing over lessons that have already done and instills an attitude of resentment. IMO this is a way to begin to indoctrinate children for Socialism. To some that will sound like an extreme attitude but I see subtle signs and not so subtle signs of Socialism in Obama and the Democrats, so why would it not be introduced to the impressionable minds of children.
Competition is here to stay.
That's how we've survived throughout the eons.
As much as we don't like to admit it, when a child succeeds at something, our mind takes us to a higher level. A conscious dream, perhaps. Or maybe just hope.
Being 1st is everyones goal.
Of course not everyone is 1st. That's where a stable mind accepts the limitations of the individual and encourages the person to be the best they can be.
That's real success.
One must never compare. Everyone is blessed with certain skills and parents must appreciate such skills and motivate children to do better.
Parents must set an example so that children observe and follow such behaviour as they grow up.
Let us nurture positive thoughts, do good deeds and help the needy and poor and lead a happy life amidst all the problems that we may have to face in our daily life.
Does this imply that all IQ testing should now be "dumbed down" so the truly brain damaged won't be noticed by "polite society"?
Sorry...either I don't get it or that crappy cup of coffee is still crappy after placing heaping spoonfuls of sugar & non dairy creamer in it. It just goes down easier after I add them to the cup of crappy coffee.
Competition is not the goal, but winning is. Competition should be among peers or it isn't fair. A child may be perceived as a potential star and thereby compared, but is realistically not yet a star.
The only person we need be better than, is the person we ourselves are today. If we strive to be the best we can be, and improve the best we can, who are we to be judged against, and in who's eyes God's or man's? Only the weakness of man judges one against another.
I have used competition to improve my performance.
If the handicapped are unable to do this then they need to be appreciative to have been a participant.
This is just another example of my motto in life: Everything is relative.
A child racing at 10 is totally different than the same child at 15. There will always be someone faster, smarter or richer.
Setting targets or goals may not be incorrect -but, setting' grades' or 'ranks' do not be seem correct.
If winning wasn't important, they would not keep score
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