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Competition Argument Essay
Competition Argument Essay
Claire Herring
Mrs. Tatum
17 December 2019
Argument Essay
In his essay, “Why Competition?,” author and lecturer Alfie Kohn argues that
“competition by its very nature is always unhealthy.” While I do agree with Kohn that
competition has unhealthy aspects, I believe that these aspects can be avoided. Competition
fuels the desire to better oneself and often pushes people to try their hardest to develop and
Competition is a part of all walks of life, from students in high school to characters in
fictional movies or TV shows. In the popular drama, Grey’s Anatomy, competition is what
drives the main characters, surgical interns, to be the best they can be. By competing against
each other for the best surgeries and opportunities, each of the characters not only grow as
surgeons, but as people. The same themes of competition building skills and character can be
found across all media and entertainment platforms and even in real-life situations.
improve my grades and GPA, as well as other skills both inside and outside of school. For
example, during marching band practice recently, our director asked if we ever competed
with our friends to see who is the better marcher. When no one responded, he asked us to try
it out for the rest of rehearsal. Taking his advice, the two other flute section leaders and I had
a staff member watch us and decide who the best of each repetition was. This way, we were
trying our hardest to beat each other while also receiving feedback, allowing us to improve in
between every repetition. If one of us placed third out of the three of us, we knew what to
change and how to be better the next time and almost always placed first the next time. Our
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friendly competition allowed us to have fun while also learning how we can improve
However, it is understandable why Kohn does not like competition. He writes, “[...]
when my success depends on my being better than, I am caught on a treadmill, destined never
to enjoy real satisfaction.” This statement can in fact be true, but only if one chooses to see
the negative side of competition and ignore the positives. If one uses competition as an
opportunity to grow rather than bring out their insecurities, they are able to better themselves
people involved in the competition are able to better themselves in any way they choose.
Friendly competition allows participants to build character and skills while developing
stronger relationships. To see the benefits of competition rather than the negative aspects is to
choose to live a better and happier life. If one finds something they want to improve in and
some friends to help them, it is possible to develop new and/or stronger skills while bonding