[projektir]

The way society is currently set up, this answer doesn't make much sense. Look everywhere you see, competitiveness and drive is encouraged, top athletes are worshiped and paid zounds of money, and the importance of genetics is quickly swept under the rug.

It doesn't really make sense to tell people to be less competitive when pretty much everyone and everything else tells them to be more so.

[eludwig]

I understand what you are saying, but we need to remember one thing: it was all recreational! Good God, the man wasn't being chased by killers, he was doing this for fun!

The fact is, I don't care who you are, there are limits imposed on the 50 year old body. There just are. If you want to keep active, that's great, but what ever happened to being reasonable? Why is everyone in such a rush all the time to have more fun faster and harder than anyone else?

Maybe this is an artifact of civilization? Since we are no longer being chased by tigers we need to "fun" ourselves to death. Who knows.

To be fair, the article makes it clear that he never felt like he was "pushing" too hard before the incident. It may be he didn't notice his body talking to him, or maybe it just didn't until it was too late, which sucks. Everyone is different. I can tell you that I'm over 50 and have definitely noticed the effort and recovery challenges that accompany my age. I'm active and love to run, bike, etc. But it certainly feels different than it did when I was 15. I have to be reasonable about how much I do how fast.

Be reasonable, people.

[InclinedPlane]

Oh? Perhaps that is an illusion. Competitiveness drives people to pursue unrealistic goals and adopt questionable priorities, often at the cost of personal happiness, satisfaction, and personal health. Their driven to "win" useless victories at the cost of developing corrosive personalities that makes it more difficult for them to be enjoy life, build valuable friendships, and find meaningful love (romantic or otherwise). People are driven to hurt themselves by exercising beyond their body's limits. They're driven to waste their lives working for others at work of questionable value while sacrificing their own happiness, personal development, families, and relationships.

There is a value to competitiveness but only if it's kept in check and allowed to operate in service to, rather than in replacement of, goals of self-actualization, self-betterment, happiness, kindness, etc.

It does make sense to tell people to question what society is forcing down their throats. How will society change otherwise?