No one succeeds alone. Yet, we've all been taught to 'do our own work' and 'not to copy off our neighbors'. No organism in nature is independent, yet, toward this imaginary state---all of us have been programmed to strive. Why? Because failure is a learned behavior, and we've been educated in the art of following instructions, rather than doing what works.
So what's wrong with a little competition? Nothing. Competition refines our skills and ideas, and those which serve us best are carried forward in future generations to advance humanity as a whole. Through competition, the cells in our body maintain homeostasis, and by this constant struggle they maintain the delicate balance we call health.
While competition creates an environment in which all organisms may develop individually, it is ONLY when these developed organisms {co}operate that we advance as a society. Those who design social structures know this ... and this is why every system of education teaches children to compete with one another, rather than cooperate. (This is also why most people fail to live their dream and end up working to build the dreams of others.)
Those who achieve their dreams do so only with the cooperation of others. Henry Ford never built a single car, or had any part in designing 'the impossible' V8 motor---nor did he have the knowledge or skills needed to do so. Henry Ford got people who could do these things to {co]operate in a way that would allow many people to preform a single, remedial task, that when combined with the work of others could mass produce things faster than any one person could working alone. Today, we call this an 'assembly line'.
And while we see value in working collectively toward a common goal to build cars, we have yet to realize any value in working collectively to build our dreams, because we're too busy competing with our neighbors to share information. (after all that would be 'cheating', wouldn't it?)
The more people who are trained to behave this way---the easier it becomes for the Machine to assimilate them as workers on its assembly line. The easier it becomes to keep people competing against one another, instead of cooperating. Again, those who design social structures know this, and it's why every system of education teaches children to compete against one another, rather than cooperate.
So ... Cui Bono? THEY do. (Those who design, manage, and operate this Machine for which WE THE PEOPLE ... work.)
Their system ... the Beast ... this Babylonian whore which no man can afford has become the standard currency for which all the world is willing to 'trade in their hours for a handful of dimes' ... and it only works while WE THE PEOPLE are willing to compete for the resources we need, rather than cooperate to get them.
THIS is why 1% of the people own all of the world's wealth, and the other 99% work FOR them. Why? Because failure is a learned behavior, and we've been educated in the art of following instructions, rather than doing what works.
