Does it upset you that some people are better than you?

[Gogf]

Lately I've seen a lot of complaining about "elitist" schools on CFC. I'm accustomed to hearing people talk about rewarding the hardest workers instead of the most productive. While encouraging hard work is all well and good, I think a lot of this stems from the insecurity of people who just can't accept that other people are better than them.

Fifty-esque warning: please answer the spirit of the question. Obviously nobody here is the absolute best at anything in the world, but plenty of us are also not in the top percentile. Does it bother you that you can't play Division 1 sports if you are an athlete? Does it bother you that you may not be able to go to an Ivy League school if you consider yourself smart? In other words, consider everyone above you and not just the absolute best. Also, please be honest in the poll. I'm expecting a ton of unusually humble responses to this...

 

[Fugitive Sisyphus]

Does it upset you that some people are better than you?

No, because no one is better than me. Except Perfection of course.

 

[Gogf]

No, because no one is better than me. Except Perfection of course.

THANKS FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTION!

 

[Nike Zeus]

Where is the "I'm the best." option?

 

[Gogf]

Where is the "I'm the best." option?

No stupid cop-outs... I want a real answer.

 

[Tycoon101]

I do not wish to be the best; it only upsets me when people refuse to acknowledge that they are not the best.

 

[Japanrocks12]

No, although I do get upset about it at times. It's just more of an insecurity thing than anything else. Coming to terms with it is one of the hallmarks of maturity.

 

[LightFang]

I already know I'm not the best at everything. And people who are better deserve to be confident in their abilities to succeed.

Being cocky, however, is frowned upon by everybody.

For example, I'm pretty damned good at math. Does it bother me that a lot of other people are better than me? Not really. It may annoy me or make me temporarily upset, but that's life.

I'm not good at English. Some of my friends always get As on their essays. I haven't gotten an A on an essay all year and my essays average B- in score. Does that annoy me? Occasionally! I don't think you'd be human if you could be so saintlike! But it's just a fact of life.

The same goes for other pursuits, such as sports, and other qualities, such as looks.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

I am better at a few things than most of the people around me. I don't make any sort of special effort to avoid those better than me, but it just happens. So I can ignore the fact that they exist.

 

[luiz]

Not at all.

In fact what makes me disapointed is when I learn that someone who I expected to be better than me at something - a professor, for example - turns out to be worse. I want to be surrounded by better people so that I can catch up and surpass them.

 

[LightFang]

[15:20] <Gogf> I'm gonna be watching something on tv
[15:20] <Gogf> so please tell at all the idiots who say "BUT I AM THE BEST!!!" to shut up for me

This is your warning!

 

[scy12]

I am not bothered by being surrounded by people who are better than me or even by those who are worse. I am bothered by being surrounded by people who are worse at maturity than me however.

 

[JohnRM]

I'm a very competitive person, so yes.

 

[Evie]

I'm not bothered by people who are better. I'm bothered by people who constantly brag about it (whether it's true or false).

 

[Red Door]

You want to be better than me.

Does it bother me that I'm not the best? No, but it inspires me to push at anything so that I can be the best.

 

[Ansar]

Only in subjects that I know I'm good at, but it motivates me to do better. It doesn't make me bitter, though.

It also annoys me when people are conceited and think they are better than the rest.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Some things are not worth being "best" at, ie. food-eating competitions. It's revolting to see people inhaling hot dogs, pie, and other food just for the sake of beating somebody's record. What does this prove except that the competitors are shallow and greedy and uncaring of the people who are genuinely hungry and would be grateful for even a little of the food that's wasted in these activities?

 

[Ecofarm]

I'm good enough at what I want to be good at. If others want to focus more of their lives in a specific area to excell at that, good for them.

Besides, I've been told 'your the best' on more than one occasion

Ultimately it comes down to looks, so I can't complain

Seriously, if someone is better at something than I, it is because they have put exceptional effort and time into that thing and I would be a complete fool to think that success (real success) comes otherwise.

Can you imagine: Bah! She tried really hard and spent her life studying brain surgery but I should be just as good at it. In fact, I'm sure I am (or would be, if I tried)!

It must be the low average age around here that people think they deserve more than they have worked for or that successful people fell backwards into that success. Further, people who are bitter to see someone living an easy life because of their parents have never spent a lifetime to put their children in a comfortable position.

This "I should/could be the best" = entitlement gone mad. Thank welfare and public schools for the widespread inability to respect hard work.

 

[Red Door]

Some things are not worth being "best" at, ie. food-eating competitions. It's revolting to see people inhaling hot dogs, pie, and other food just for the sake of beating somebody's record. What does this prove except that the competitors are shallow and greedy and uncaring of the people who are genuinely hungry and would be grateful for even a little of the food that's wasted in these activities?

They are true athletes, don't rag on them.

 

[Tycoon101]

Ultimately it comes down to looks, so I can't complain

I must disagree, most with "good" looks (disregarding the point that having "good" looks is entirely subjective) fail to be better than the rest. It is better to be self fulfilled and happy with the level of "betterness" which one has than to be caught up in a game of becoming part of a highly selective elite which trying to get ahead on looks alone entails.