I have no rivals.
I have no rivals because I do not contend.
There’s not much to be gained by contending. This would not be at all obvious to a visitor from another world. Superficial observation suggests contention through survival-of-the–fittest is the rule of the game.
Yet, the grazing herds contend for nothing. There’s grass enough for all. Even in times of drought it doesn’t occur to the grazers to gore each other over who gets more grass.
Predators think otherwise.
Prides of lions think it best to destroy their rivals whenever possible. Predators of every stripe think much the same, including gamers, kings and home-coming queens. Of course, home-coming queens aren’t predators, but they are contenders.
The lives of all contenders revolve around being, bigger, better, or newest.
It must be exhausting.
The contention of rivals is used to mark pivotal points of life and history. The winners are lauded in books and headlines; losers are only mentioned in order to add background color.
Victory overwhelms everything else. The drama that piques interest also overshadows deeper understanding.
Winners & losers oddly command more attention than the results that follow the conflict.
Perhaps I’m odd for thinking that odd. Anyone more at home on the planet than myself will wonder why I should find human fascination with rivalry, contention, and contest so odd.
I find that odd because I find contention unpleasant. Some contention is unavoidable, but it’s always unpleasant. Why would anyone find rivalry entertaining. It’s a mystery to me.
Perhaps it’s the reason I’m not entertained by spectator sports. Sports are about winning, or losing; nothing else really matters. How inconsequential a result for so much activity.
Worse yet, the spectators, the fans, waste so much of their time watching players while they, themselves, aren’t in the game.
That said, some rivals have no choice in the matter: kingdoms fall, antelopes get away, dreams fail, and existence itself may be on the line. This sort of contest has results that matter.
Results that matter are more interesting to me than staged contests that don’t.
Unavoidable contests are rivalries in real life; rivalries in sport contests are only for show.
Hemingway said, “There is nothing noble in being superior to you fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self”. Said in another way; the only important contest is the one you have with yourself.
Being superior to your former self is honorable rivalry - not only worthy, but useful to your own well-being. The contest with yourself is a lifelong rivalry. You’re both challenger and challenged. No props, equipment, or fans needed. You win just by the trying.
The heroes of saga, and sport’s headline have their vaunted place, but less importantly.
I said I have no rivals. That’s not quite true. My rival is my former self. I’ve no interest in contending with anyone else.
When I read about Heros slaying Dragons, I wonder how many of those Dragons were really looking for a fight.
Sagas of Rivalry are about Heroes slaying Dragons.
The most important Saga is the one where the Dragon being slain
is your former self.
Sagas of Rivalry are about Heroes slaying Dragons.
The most important Saga is the one where the Dragon being slain
is your former self.