Striving to make each other better in extracurriculars and academics is very important to lift one another up. But, when does it start to become too much? It is up to the applicants to decide how seriously they wish to take their craft. However, there are different advantages and disadvantages to these types of personalities.

Negative effects of competitiveness

Those who go too deep into the competitive spirit can cause detrimental effects on things in their personal life. Friends who notice this competitive streak and may become fearful of this trait turn their backs. However, this may not always be such a bad thing. Having a close circle of friends that one trusts and considers to be a vital part of their life is very necessary. To lose that because of highly ambitious actions can be harmful.

People with high determination sometimes have a certain drive to have perfection in every detail of their craft. However, this can cause harmful consequences to a person’s mental health and  to their abilities. Striving for perfection is a great thing, however, having a necessity for every single thing to be perfect is damaging. In a situation where one does not receive the outcome they hoped for, people with this specific need for perfection have different outbursts. 

Although fear is sometimes a good motivator for success, too much competition may lead to high levels of fear in a person. The fear of losing, or failing, is sometimes too much for a person to handle. In large activities with many attendees, it can be extremely worrisome when wondering about one’s placement. High amounts of fear can negatively affect a person’s performance. 

Positive effects of competitiveness 

In our lives, people are most influenced by their peers. Being surrounded by competitive personalities and having someone nipping at one’s heels is fuel to perform better. When it feels as though a high mark is guaranteed to a person, what’s the point of giving it their all? Competing with others helps us put in the most effort we can to do our best.

High ambition is necessary for success. Not taking an ambition seriously enough will not get one to the desired results. As the saying goes, practice makes near perfect. With no attempt to get better or try, one cannot reach their goals without putting in the effort. Obtaining the quality of a necessity to improve is vital for excelling at certain aspects.

People with a high competitive spirit crave improvement. When it comes to groups, they not only crave it for themselves, but for others as well. This creates motivation for everyone to continue to refine and enhance their skills. The end goal of a win isn’t motivation enough. Competitive leaders especially help push everyone to win. However, when the activity is for individuals, these types of people push themselves to continue improving themselves as much as they can. This proves vital to success because, with no improvement, there is no successful end result. 

Now that our society is opening certain opportunities back up, it can be easy to let oneself go too far into searching for validation and success. However, it is great to strive for perfect outcomes with the knowledge that perfection is only a goal. When we go after these achievements, we should remember to be humble with high confidence.