okansas.blogspot.com Occassional thoughts about orienteering
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Invisible competition
A good orienteer probably needs to be able to push themselves and concentrate even when they can't see their competition head-to-head. But, that is a difficult skill.
...Human beings evolved in small groups and hunter-gatherer societies, in which virtually all competition was face to face. That is the environment most of us are biologically and emotionally geared to succeed in, and it explains why our adrenalin surges when a rival wins the boss’s favor or flirts with our special someone. But in the new arena, with its faceless and anonymous competitors, those who are driven to action mostly by adrenalin will not fare well. If that’s what they need to get things done, they will become too passive and others will overtake them.
The greatest gains in this new world are likely to go to people who are methodical planners or who love the game for its own sake. Some people plot their competitive strategies far in advance. These planners—be they crazy or just highly productive—don’t need anyone breathing down their necks, and indeed they often work best alone or in small groups....
The quote is from an article by the economist, Tyler Cowen, that you can read here.
