Essay on We should be Cooperative rather than Competitive : When asked what works better-Cooperation or Competition, we would definitely say cooperation. While competition brings out the beast' in us; cooperation brings out the 'best' in us. Human nature is both cooperative and competitive depending upon the context. In primitive environment, surviving alone was not feasible and signals like physical pain, hunger etc. pushed humans to alter undesirable states. Soon, humans evolved to feel loneliness as pain to encourage teaming up, in order to escape loneliness. But rationally speaking, we are not essentially cooperative and that cooperation happens only when we find it useful in our evolutionary process.
Essay on We should be Cooperative rather than Competitive
When asked what works better-Cooperation or Competition, we
would definitely say cooperation. It has also been verified by scientists in
hundreds of studies since 1800s, still we find it surprising how big
businesses, parents, institutions and our education system go on promoting
competition and almost ignore the power of cooperation. But what is important
to know and understand is that no human can live or survive in isolation. While
competition brings out the beast' in us; cooperation brings out the 'best' in
us; as demonstrated by research.
Human nature is both cooperative and competitive depending
upon the context. In primitive environment, surviving alone was not feasible
and signals like physical pain, hunger etc. pushed humans to alter undesirable
states. Soon, humans evolved to feel loneliness as pain to encourage teaming
up, in order to escape loneliness. But rationally speaking, we are not
essentially cooperative and that cooperation happens only when we find it
useful in our evolutionary process. For that matter, we need to learn the art
of cooperation from ants that are super-organisms and die for the colony which
they are a part of. But, they attack ants that are genetically different from
them. They are the best examples of community cooperative living.
Too much competition can lead to poor health. The question
of nature or nurture is not an issue as asserted by anthropologists and
psychologists. Though we are born with certain tendencies or instincts, we can
still transform our conduct, nature and personality through education,
upbringing and our own conscious choices. After having tested every kind of
occupation, skill and human behavior, one thing that has been inferred is that
cooperation has yielded much more in terms of positive growth and creativity.
Businessmen who work in cooperation with other businesses, gain perks and earn
higher salaries and cooperative students from elementary grades to college have
higher grade point averages. But the irony is that many people are
unfortunately not taught cooperative skills.
Classroom students are taught to stay apart and quiet; which
fosters competition indirectly. On the contrary, when people work cooperatively
with each other, they learn best. This type of learning when nurtured in early
age is carried along by a child till he matures. People must therefore, learn
to be cooperative and education and psychology must work in coordination to
teach people to cooperate. In a particular setting, when people come closer to
interact and cooperate with each other, they tend to feel good about themselves
as learners. They have a better sense of community, belonging and acceptance
besides their self-esteem going high.
But what we find today is surprising. The means by which
individuals once learned cooperative skills are eroding and there are a lot of
reasons to ponder upon. Churches, homes, communities which once used to be the
standard ways to teach cooperation to people, do not function the same old way.
Young people being taught how to cooperate do not exhibit the requisite level
of interest. This results into unabated competition.
Cooperation serves the individuals working together in
several key areas, such as creating fluid leadership, allowing everyone to
participate actively without fear of censor and influencing an individual’s
perception of the work environment. It also impacts health and according to a
research, it has been proved that cooperative individuals are better adjusted
psychologically and are physically healthier than their more competitive
colleagues. On the other hand, competition or the constant feeling of working
against something leads to unhealthy physical side effects. Cooperative
environment facilitates the quality of the outcome by increasing the number of
ideas and cooperation as a valuable commodity works best when it's freely given
and indirectly encouraged. Being a good thing towards everyone cooperation is a
gift that is always appropriate.
While natural competition between men of any group provides
a system of checks and balances, and healthy competition can be a positive
incentive in the workplace, too much competition can be deadly and may kill
morale, cause stress and foster backstabbing. On the flipside, working together
and helping each other releases brain chemicals that enhance motivation,
pressure and bonding. While competition benefits only certain people, it leads
many to drift towards stress and make them work in highly tensed environment.
We can't trust one another if we are thriving in an atmosphere of cutthroat
competition; instead, trust and will fear prevail. This fear further induces
various kinds of negative behaviors from passive resistance and political maneuvering
to self-problem.
Turning everything into a competition leads to unnecessary
conflict, while cooperation evolves beneficial relationship skills that further
help us to be good at teamwork and collaborate with others in the real world.
Working in cooperation with others and using cooperative skills such as
listening, sharing and negotiating teaches us beneficial relationship skills
and helps us to be good at teamwork. Ideas and strategies are used to win
together.
War is an obvious example of the deadly competition within
the human species, but most of us do not in realize that the same continues
even during the times of peace”. People lacking the skills, education, talent
or opportunity to compete in our competitive economy become poor; and this
results in death, rates of which are at least six times higher than the rich.
So, instead of deadly competition, what works better is
cooperative competition. It is also suggested that by working together, people
can push each other to be more productive and produce stronger work. This
further releases chemicals in brain that enhance motivation, pleasure and
bonding. These 'feel good chemicals make people more intrinsically motivated.
Thus, students in their primary education must be taught cooperative games so
that they evolve into persons with established cooperative social behavior.
In the end, what stands out most is our exceptional capacity
for generosity and mutual trust and those moments in which we act cooperatively
to establish the human race as the best species on the earth. Even the good
leaders manage competition by creating an environment that encourages cohesion,
cooperation and collaboration. Cooperative competition is a sure way to define
roles, encourage free speech and keeps the people honest and open which
ultimately leads to an atmosphere full of productivity, creativity and trust.
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