The Futility of Endless Competition

We were taught how to compete; but we failed in every competition.

Perhaps you can relate to this story.

In elementary school, the only way I could make my parents proud was by achieving the coveted first position in class. As young as I was, I vividly remember the intense drive to be number one. The day I finally claimed the top spot, the joy was overwhelming. The walk home felt shorter, buoyed by my triumph.

At home, everyone celebrated my success. For an entire week, I was treated like royalty.

But society’s narrow definition of success came crashing down on me when I slipped to second and third places. It felt as if everything I had achieved had been erased.

This relentless push for superiority isn’t limited to academics. Many of us experience the same exhausting competition in our careers.

Even businesses aren’t exempt. So many companies are locked in rivalries, battling endlessly against competitors, that they often forget why they’re fighting in the first place.

Everyone seems consumed with ensuring their rivals fail. But amidst the chaos, we often neglect to ask a crucial question:

Will what I’m fighting for still matter in 10 years?

1. Insights from History and Literature

Karl Marx suggested that people fight because they are different; the greater the differences, the greater the conflict.

In contrast, Shakespeare argued that combatants often look remarkably similar. They fight not because they are different, but because rivalry blinds them. Consider the opening line of Romeo and Juliet: “Two households, both alike in dignity.” The Montagues and Capulets hated each other, yet they were nearly identical.

As their feud escalated, they grew even more alike, eventually losing sight of the original cause of their conflict.

2. Lessons for the Business World

In business, Shakespeare’s perspective is eerily relevant. Within companies, people become fixated on competing with colleagues for career advancement. At the corporate level, firms obsess over their marketplace rivals.

Amid all this drama, the focus shifts from innovation and purpose to rivalry and retaliation.

History offers cautionary tales: the feud between Microsoft and Google is a stark example. While the two tech giants battled for dominance, Apple emerged and quietly surpassed them both. By January 2013, Apple’s market capitalization soared to $500 billion; outshining Microsoft and Google’s combined worth of $467 billion.

3. Choosing the Right Battles

Sometimes, conflict is necessary. When it is, you should aim to fight decisively and win. But there’s wisdom in choosing battles carefully. Winning a pointless war leaves everyone worse off.

Competition is inevitable, but true innovation allows you to win without engaging in destructive conflict.

This reflection was inspired by Zero to One by Peter Thiel.