Guys and Being Competitive

[Nate]

: : sheepishly raises hand : :

Uhm . . . I'm a guy who isn't very competitive . . .

.rai//

I bet I'm more uncompetitive than you!

[Raiden no Kishi]

I bet I'm more uncompetitive than you!

: : cracks up : :

.rai//

[Yojimbo]

I definitely get competitive especially if it's football playing or watching. Getting competitive over stuff even pointless stuff is fun the more frivolous it is the better!

[God's Samurai]

I bet I'm more uncompetitive than you!

Nate you're being competitive about not being competitive. Besides I'm more uncompetitive than both of you.

[Nate]

Nate you're being competitive about not being competitive. Besides I'm more uncompetitive than both of you.

Oh you're ON. I bet I can be more uncompetitive than you ANY day of the week. I'll be so uncompetitive, it'll make you look...uh...competitive. So any day you want to try and outdo me in being uncompetitive, BRING IT, and I will make you cry in defeat.

[Destroyer2000]

Amazing. I'm not very competitive, just don't get around me or in front of the TV on Superbowl Sunday.

[QtheQreater]

Risk is awwweeeesome.

Only if you're beating the ever-loving-snot out of all the other players. ALL HAIL THE AUSTRALIAN FORTRESS!!!

Competitiveness...well, unless I really am I guy (which, according to the majority if voters in this poll, I'm not, go figure), then girls can be competitive, too. I like to play games...and makes a much noise as humanly possible while doing so. Take Super Smash Brothers, for example. You can't play that without yelling, gloating, bluster, and screeches of sheer rage.

Then again, maybe I'm just weird. It's possible...er...probable...

[Alice]

There's something you may not have thought about, as well. Maybe those guys are being competitive *because you're watching.* Think about it.

Also, I'm not saying girls can't be competitive, because that would mean we weren't human (alien smiley), but I do remember reading a factoid about (of a study?) about how when guys play together as kids, they like to play games like baseball, etc., basically competitive / cooperative games, and when girls play games together they like to play cooperative games with a lot less focus on score keeping and who wins.

Of course this is an oversimplification, but there is a point. Girls just aren't as competitive as guys most of the time.

(If you want to say "girls are very competitive over guys," of course you're right. But to compare that to guys being competitive over sports and games is wrong. Compare that to guys being competitive over girls, if you want to look at it fairly. And honestly I have no idea how that would compare. I think we as human beings can be pretty darn competitive about getting a mate, no matter what gender we are!)

[termyt]

Can't say that it's right to hurl a bottle of HP sauce at the TV (breaking both items and making a mess) when your hockey team loses, followed by being in a rage of a mood because of it :/ It happens...

Is there any facet of any trait associated with any gender, race, or culture that is not bad when taken to such an extreme? Should we all deny the entirety of our competitive spirits because some yutze out there cares a little too much about his favorite hockey team?

I posted that because of W4J choice of words. What does Connect Four have to do with being a warrior? Not the best of analogies, although I know I'm guilty of far worse. No offense meant, W4J.

I thought it was a great analogy. The games we play are reflections of the battles we fight. They are good releases of energy and can be great exercises for our minds. I seriously believe part of the problem boys face today is the lack of positive outlets for our competitive natures. Boys tend to learn better when confronted with a problem that needs to be solved for a reason – be it victory at a silly expectoration game or the successful defense of one’s village from invaders.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Oh you're ON. I bet I can be more uncompetitive than you ANY day of the week. I'll be so uncompetitive, it'll make you look...uh...competitive. So any day you want to try and outdo me in being uncompetitive, BRING IT, and I will make you cry in defeat.

Can't do that. I'm not competitive. =p

[samuraidragon]

I've only played Risk once in my life. Even though I own it, I never seem to be able to play it.

Extreme Spoons is the best card game ever. If you're familiar with spoons, the extreme version places the spoons in another room, or at least 6-10 feet away in the same room. You don't know competitive until you're jumping up dashing for a spoon as fast as you can move, grabbing someone else leg as they're flying through the air, giving them a nice reintroduction to the ground. It's good stuff.

Needless to say, I've never lost a game.

[Aoshi]

Being competetive is soooo overrated. I prefer just to chill. I have plenty of friends who are competetive about everything, they get bored with me pretty quickly because of my lack of interest in being competetive.

Random friend: Dude I would own you in *insert challege*
Me: Yeah, you probably would as i could care less.

[Doubleshadow]

I thought it was a great analogy. The games we play are reflections of the battles we fight. They are good releases of energy and can be great exercises for our minds. I seriously believe part of the problem boys face today is the lack of positive outlets for our competitive natures. Boys tend to learn better when confronted with a problem that needs to be solved for a reason – be it victory at a silly expectoration game or the successful defense of one’s village from invaders.

Hmm. Put that way it sounds more convincing, and it probably does no good to apply reasoning to instinct. Although I do understand male behavior (gender differences have been a hobby of mine since grade school), I can't help but think, at times, you all just don't make any sense. There is a severe sports related injury among the guys I know about once a month; one of them permanently ruined his ACL trying to win a pick-up game of basketball. Another one broke two fingers in three places playing touch football and kept right on playing (you could see where the knuckles had collapsed in his hand), needing surgery on that hand later. I can understand why a guy might risk crippling himself for life just to win a game and say it was worth it, but it just doesn't sound rational to me. Being competitive is a good thing in my book, but that is just crazy.

[mitsuki lover]

I now have a theory has to why girls go to the bathroom in packs...they want to keep their eye on the competition!

[Doubleshadow]

I now have a theory has to why girls go to the bathroom in packs...they want to keep their eye on the competition!

Bwahahaha! There is a practical reason behind that, but I won't post it. I'm just imagining your reaction if you don't know it and I told you. Ha ha ha!

And my apologies W4J, you made a good point and I missed it.

[Warrior4Christ]

I've only played Risk once in my life. Even though I own it, I never seem to be able to play it.

Extreme Spoons is the best card game ever. If you're familiar with spoons, the extreme version places the spoons in another room, or at least 6-10 feet away in the same room. You don't know competitive until you're jumping up dashing for a spoon as fast as you can move, grabbing someone else leg as they're flying through the air, giving them a nice reintroduction to the ground. It's good stuff.

Needless to say, I've never lost a game.

But then.. you can't ever subtley take the spoon while no one's watching...

[Radical Dreamer]

Extreme Spoons is the best card game ever. If you're familiar with spoons, the extreme version places the spoons in another room, or at least 6-10 feet away in the same room. You don't know competitive until you're jumping up dashing for a spoon as fast as you can move, grabbing someone else leg as they're flying through the air, giving them a nice reintroduction to the ground. It's good stuff.

Needless to say, I've never lost a game.

HAHAHA. I love Spoons, and I never thought of doing it that way. XDD That's pretty awesome, though. XD

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Yah, Termyt deduced my analogy!

No need to apologise DoubleShadow.

Mitsuki, while I agree (lol), I think you are entering dangerous territory. Ha, ha.

Extreme spoons sounds like awesome fun!

[Raiden no Kishi]

You've got it all wrong.

Extreme Spoons isn't truly extreme unless you play it with smoke grenades.

.rai//

[uc pseudonym]

Speaking for myself as a male, I'm utterly non-competitive in this sense. None of the games I play matter that much to me, really, and I have fun regardless of if I win or lose. Acting ridiculously competitive, however, is quite fun (others made my joke about non-competitiveness before I could).

Bwahahaha! There is a practical reason behind that, but I won't post it. I'm just imagining your reaction if you don't know it and I told you. Ha ha ha!

Whatever reason you are thinking may not be as universal as you imagine. When I've heard this question answered (more times than you might think, though I don't know why) the answers have been related to community (ie "We were already talking") or the environment (ie "It feels weird to leave the room alone" or "In an unfamiliar place it's nice to have other people with you").

But now I'm curious about your answer. I can probably guarantee my reaction will be absolutely nothing.

But then.. you can't ever subtley take the spoon while no one's watching...

I concur. Though I'm not a big fan of the game, for me the best part of it is if you can palm a spoon while passing cards. Then when everyone grabs insanely for them you already have one.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

You've got it all wrong.

Extreme Spoons isn't truly extreme unless you play it with smoke grenades.

.rai//

Nuh uh. More like flashbang grenades.

You'd go deaf AND blind at the same time... WHILE searching for the spoons/grenades whatever.

[termyt]

[quote="Doubleshadow"]Hmm. Put that way it sounds more convincing, and it probably does no good to apply reasoning to instinct. Although I do understand male behavior (gender differences have been a hobby of mine since grade school), I can't help but think, at times, you all just don't make any sense. There is a severe sports related injury among the guys I know about once a month]
I am not very competitive, either, but I am probably more so than the average female.

Anyways, I believe you are approaching this from the wrong point of view. We are not risking life and limb to win a silly games. We are engaging in games for the competition and camaraderie that are physical in nature. These games introduce a certain amount of risk for injury. If you are going to play outside, you are risking injury. That’s just a fact of life. I seriously doubt many guys do not care if they injure others or are injured themselves so long as they win.

Many girls risk injury to play sports as well. I believe the reasons tend to be focused more on camaraderie and less on competition, but for whatever reason, those who participate believe the risk of injury is worth the benefits they receive.

I lost my ACL to a back-yard football game myself. It ended my back-yard football career and it was a malicious act perpetrated by another on the field. I was the ball carrier and was tackled. As I was getting up, one of the guys pushed another guy who he felt was not giving 100%. He tripped and fell, landing on my leg. I do not believe the other person intended me harm, but in this instance it was indeed a case where one’s competitive spirit ran away with him. Many injuries are the result of this kind of activity, but I still do not think we should categorize the whole of the competitive spirit – or any other facet of the human condition - based on our actions when our emotions are the most intense.

[Ratrace]

Guy against girls in competition/competitiveness. Two words: Field Hockey. I used to think that was a stereotype until I had to play a game. My shins still hurt just thinking about it.

[Alice]

Guy against girls in competition/competitiveness. Two words: Field Hockey. I used to think that was a stereotype until I had to play a game. My shins still hurt just thinking about it.

*has never heard the stereotype* I take it you mean the girls were violently competetive against the guys?

[samuraidragon]

HAHAHA. I love Spoons, and I never thought of doing it that way. XDD That's pretty awesome, though. XD

It's pretty much the most fun you can have. haha


Here's me in a particularly intense game.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Pffffft that's totally Jedi Knight III: Jedi Academy. =p

[mitsuki lover]

Yep,girls can be nasty when it comes to competing in sports.

[Eric]

I'm not very competetive at all; I don't care whether I win or lose, but I always do my best at everything just because that's how I am since I'm a perfectionist. When it comes to playing sports or games, I am more like a machine. Having any sort of emotions while doing those things will only adversely affect my performance. It's best to stay calm and focus on the task at hand.

[Raiden no Kishi]

Nuh uh. More like flashbang grenades.

You'd go deaf AND blind at the same time... WHILE searching for the spoons/grenades whatever.

Smoke, flashbangs, and tear gas grenades. Dress code is T-shirts and jeans.

Don't forget to hold it in a dark room with a strobe-filled hall between the players' room and the spoon room.

.rai//

[Hakaii]

I remember once in my Staff class... This guy and me were sparring with our staffs (which were made of wood and had absolutely no padding on them or us in any way) We were so focused on being faster and stronger than one another that when our instructor called us to stop to pay attention to him, we lost our concentration and hit eachother. I jabbed him with the but of my staff in his left shoulder while he whaked me across the face with the other end of his staff. I only bled a little and he stopped gripping his arm after only 15 minutes. It was great! We were so focused! it felt as if I were moving faster than I could think while still hitting as hard as I could.... Good times..good times!