The Survival Of The Smartest: How Toxic Competition Is Ruining Society

The world is not a wish-granting factory but a rat-race course. Competition exists at every level of your life, what with society expecting you to be the best, smartest and most put-together version of yourself. In this post-modern version of Darwin's theory of natural selection, the ones with the most capital, be it physical or intellectual, get the biggest piece of the cake. I have seen mothers berating their little children to excel in their academics and co-curricular activities, just to outsmart other classmates. I have seen throngs of parents rallying their kids' report card outside school, just to ensure their little one has the highest grades of them all. I have seen teachers pitting one student against the other just to increase the unhealthy competition in class. As a result, children get socially inducted into the rat-race and propagate the competition and tussle. These students refuse to share their notes, trick their classmates into not studying, supply them with incorrect homework and wish nothing, but ill of their friends.

In this context, one is reminded of the character of Chatur Ramalingam from the movie Three Idiots. Chatur was a very studious boy who was notorious for distracting his classmates from studying and disrespecting students who were unable to score as well as him. A teacher's pet and a snitch, he was the epitome of all things that is wrong with the present education system. He was ultimately taught a lesson by his classmates, but in real life this is not the case. In reality, these uber-competitive students survive the rat-race that is education and start earning in millions. They become CEOs of big companies, doctors, engineers, lawyers and academia stalwarts. These big shots go on to harass their co-workers and engage in an unhealthy competition with them, too, over salaries and promotions. Everybody starts hating them and refuses to have anything to do with them. Therefore, when these successful billionaires grow old, they have no one to turn to. Even though they are rolling in money, no one agrees to be their friend and care for them. Some cunning people pursue them for their wealth, but they, too, leave when their needs are fulfilled. Therefore slowly, they die a sorry death, without loving or being loved, ever, in their lives.

But can we blame them only, for their sad end? Is it not society which conditions them to think in a certain way and engage in toxic competition with their peers? Is it not their parents who teach them at a very young age not to share their notes? Is it not their teachers who make them hate each other and fight for the first position in class? Is it not their circumstances which conspire to churn out a fresh batch of toxic people and choose them for that? Are they to blame, after all?

So, what is the way out, then? How do we break this mould and escape this vicious cycle, once and for all? Well, the answer is simple. We need to raise children in a healthy and wholesome environment. They should be encouraged to perform at school, but not at the expense of the education of their friends. They should be taught empathy and kindness from a very young age. They should not be told to insult those who score less than them. Instead, they should learn to help by tutoring them, sharing notes and assisting them with their homework. In this way, they, too, would gain a better grasp over their lessons. They should be provided with holistic knowledge and everybody should have a level playing field so that everyone is able to be successful.

In this way, we can hope for a world where a student who scores less than his best friend is determined to improve in the next test and is helped by his friends in achieving this. We can hope for a world where parents are more supportive and understanding, helping their children evolve not only as better students, but also, as good human beings. We can hope for a world, where teachers encourage all their students equally and boost their spirits, instead of comparing them and tearing their morale down. We can hope for a world where no educator would show favouritism and bias. Instead everybody will be allowed to perform at their own pace, learn to be creative, acquire knowledge and excel.

The world is not a wish granting factory. But we can grant our own wishes by promoting a healthy, empathetic and happy environment, to make this world a better place to live in.