> Looking back, I also feel like I was frequently compared agaisnst other children. As a reminder that life is a competition, and you don’t want to be behind.
I don't know how old you are but life is a competition. At the very fundamental level, all species are competing with each other for survival. Your mother was not mislead, she knows that in order to survive in this jungle, you need to be competitive. And given how shallow the world is, these titles and awards matters, so you should get them.
taken too far this outlook leads to missed opportunities. other successful people aren’t always going to want to cooperate with someone who is too cuttthroat and selfish. sometimes less is more.
I'm not sure why competitive is being interpreted as negative selfish behavior here. Depending on the context/environment, it might mean more generous or more cooperative. Which is still a competitive trait.
If someone's being generous and cooperative merely as a contextual strategy, I can only cooperate with them to a very limited extent, since I can't trust that they will reciprocate beyond the short term.
Being competitive seems to be a personality trait that some people possess. I think personalities represented in this thread have this trait and need to handle it.
I don't know how old you are but life is a competition. At the very fundamental level, all species are competing with each other for survival. Your mother was not mislead, she knows that in order to survive in this jungle, you need to be competitive. And given how shallow the world is, these titles and awards matters, so you should get them.