In Some Countries, Children Are Taught From A Young Age That Competition Is Important

Sample essay

Right since their childhood, children in some countries are taught to compete and win at all costs. In my opinion, this is not exactly a positive development. Of course, children should develop a competitive mindset but they should also learn to cooperate.

Teaching children that it is crucial to win at all times is bad for several reasons. First, it will put them under tremendous pressure. No matter how talented a child is, it is not always possible for them to win. In life, both success and failure will come our way and it is important for parents to teach children to accept both gracefully. Being extremely competitive also affects children’s ability to make healthy friendships. If they are constantly competing with their classmates, they will have no one to count as a friend. This inability to form meaningful friendships will hurt a child’s mental health and may even cause them to lose interest in going to school.

Of course, the arguments mentioned above do not mean that children should not develop a competitive spirit at all. They should, but it should be healthy. While encouraging children to compete with a friendly spirit, parents also need to teach them that winning and losing are part and parcel of life. A healthy spirit of competition encourages children to strive to the best of their abilities; at the same time, it convinces them that it is perfectly all right to lose at times.

In conclusion, overly competitive children have difficulty coping with failure. They are also not good at making friends. Hence, in my opinion, it is dangerous to teach children to be competitive at all times. They should certainly develop a competitive spirit, but they must never be under the impression that life is all about winning.

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