ABSTRACT
Competitiveness has become a cultural value in American society. Individuals compete on all levels of life experience—mental, emotional and physical. Metaphorically, life is a “rat race”; the “battle” of the sexes looms large; we “run” around like madmen to keep up. Our language suggests a rivalry or contest. While the origins of this competitive behavior are unclear, its ubiquity in our culture suggests a degree of inherence in human nature. Competition is possibly a fusion of the need to achieve and the desire to compare oneself to others. 1
