[cheeko1234]

Healthy competition is the best motivator. Challenging each other does work but both parties have to give a shit.

Another great motivator is being told you will never be able to do something, which gives fuel to the motivation in the form of spite.

[II2II]

That approach is problematic for some people. The depressive pile has already been mentioned, but we also have to consider that some people are less competitive than others. Some people are teachers or nurses until the day they retire. It isn't because they don't have what it takes to be principals or hospital administrators. A good many do so because that's where they see themselves doing the most good. In other cases, it is because they enjoy what they are doing. How many times have we seen developers mention that they feel pressured to go into management or being forced out of the industry as they get older? In other cases it is because people seek a better work-life balance. I left professional life largely due to the constant encroachment of work life on my personal life, and I suspect I am not unique.

There are other things to consider. Everyone who is employed serves a purpose, else they wouldn't be employed. It doesn't matter whether they're that paper pusher who exists solely to ensure everything is documented in the remote case of legal issues or the person who spawns a company that goes on to employ thousands of people. Sure, the latter feels more meaningful than the former, but that says more about our society than anything else (e.g. the failure of people to do their job, people wilfully breaking the law, frivolous or malicious litigation). Why should one group have more success when everyone is making a contribution?

Another thing to consider: in a world of large corporations that employ hundreds or thousands of people, a disproportionate number of people are at the bottom of the hierarchy. In a world of small businesses, there is hope of rising up the ranks, inheriting or buying out the business, or of setting out on your own. In a world of large corporations, there is only so much movement you can do and the form of competition to move up may not reflect the personality of those who are qualified.

[citizenpaul]

My problem is that is has always been extremely difficult to find a competitive partner. Most people that are willing to compete for motivation fall into the three below categories.

1. Are already so far ahead that they just like having people to push the "I win" button on and there is no way to beat them. You can see how online games are ruined by cheaters to get a feel how many people do this.

2.People that are so unhealthy hyper competitive that they will ruin their life to "win" against you. Going as far as to sacrifice personal health/finance and general life balance just to game whatever the competition is.

3.Say they want to compete then do nothing.

There is also the initial problem of finding someone that is roughly at the same place in life as you to compete with for motivation. People have various differences that can make huge handicaps, health,money, kids, pets, parents, education, career, housing.

[pdimitar]

> Another great motivator is being told you will never be able to do something, which gives fuel to the motivation in the form of spite.

Very American of you. :P

For people already struggling this only adds depression to the bigger depressive pile, FYI.

Perspectives, we all need them. People can be beaten down to a level where every single adversity is putting them back to bed, unwilling to get out for the next day or two.

[ianbutler]

Sure, but they have bigger problems and hopefully are seeking professional help not thinking about advanced productivity techniques like this thread is about.

For most people this is a perfectly fine point. This trend of "but wait this won't work for this particular group" in online conversation isn't useful.

This obviously wasn't directed at heavily depressed people or people struggling it was directed at otherwise normally functioning people trying to have an edge.

[pdimitar]

Apologies, I didn't mean to ruin your argument by citing groups and circumstances to which it doesn't apply.

I mostly meant to question your definition of normally functioning people. IMO from a lifetime of observations the normal state of your average human is being passive, not learning, not improving, and not changing their life situation. Hence my comment. Sorry that it was worded a bit poorly.

You probably meant "your normal functioning human that also wants to improve their life", I assume.

[Frost1x]

Competition is only healthy if a reasonable baseline of safety nets exist for those who lose the competition. We don't have those safety nets most of the time and it leads indirectly to harmful consequences for those involved, making it far from healthy.