Competition And Happiness Rubin Analysis

In “Competition And Happiness,” by Theodore Rubin, he emphasizes that competition has evolved from being a mean of survival to strictly a corrosive comparison of ourselves in relation to others. Americans are trapped in a society where most are so fixated on elitism, that it leads them to stress over their success, progress, or self- perception relative to others. Whether it is in education, business, or socially, individuals are envious and jealous of other’s accomplishments and possessions to an extent where it leads our culture to ignore individuality. No matter if it is blatant or subterranean, a form of resentment is present, and it pushes one to be in constant competition with others. This type of mindset is what limits or even affects
What was once fun became dreadful and yet a competition for acceptance. Aidan stated, “ It got so, I just wanted to play well to make him happy. I would find myself looking at him on the sidelines after every play to see if he was smiling.” His father's push for him to shine amongst his peers made him disregard his love for the sport. His motive for playing was to make his father happy. Dreading making any mistakes, he was always stressed and worried that no matter what he did, it would never be good enough to meet his dad’s standards. He became paranoid and extremely stressed knowing that a minor mistake will lead to him being scolded and shunned by his father. This further demonstrates Rubin's point, that competition can prevent happiness because the competition was no longer for Aidan's personal satisfaction but rather for his father. It no longer was fun, it became more of a mission to be accepted by his father. Aidan was putting his individual happiness aside so to make his father proud. The moment when competition takes a turn for the worst is when each individual loses a sense of personal identity and individuality. He was no longer just aidan but his father, for everything he did reflected on his father. The pressure put on him by his father is what never allowed him to be truly content with his performance in games. The push for him to excel so his father can look like the father of the year left him in a constant state of distress. Wanting to have fun but can’t because what was once merely just a game became a status symbol and the cost of that was his