Is Cooperation Rather than Competition Instinctive, or Is It Something We Improve on, As We Evolve As Humans?

Is Cooperation Rather than Competition Instinctive, or Is It Something We Improve on, As We Evolve As Humans?

June 27, 2013 by: Kenny Bavoso

Competition

The evolution of earth according to the Darwin’s theory of evolution is based on one rule – the survival of the fittest. This means that the people who are fit thwart the unfit people, step over them and live on, and evolve. However, we have seen that this competition is not the ideal way of living in the modern scheme of things. We have seen that cooperation is more effective and ideal to help us grow as humans, rather than competing with each other.
Why is Cooperation More Evolved Attribute
There have been a lot of people who have preached the philosophy of live and let live. This seems to be working very effectively in the modern world. We are in a society where interdependency, has become essential for progress. Directly or indirectly, you might feel the impact of the actions of some other person in the same society. So, it is important that all of us are socially responsible and think twice about every action, before doing it.
Is Competition Always A Bad Thing?
If you think that competition is not a sign of improvement and or human evolution, you are wrong. Competition is also vital for the evolution of human life, both in terms of the quality of life that we lead, and in terms of the innovation. Healthy competition is what has enabled us to come so far and it will help us in the future as well. However, the key to good competition is the word ‘healthy’. Efforts should not go to the level of desperation, just to get ahead of your competition or emerge a winner.
How to Striking a Balance between Competition and Cooperation
As mentioned earlier, the key to the evolution of human behavior is to strike the right balance between competition and cooperation. Competition should be present at all levels, but you should not resort to desperate measures to get ahead of your competition, in any aspect of your life. At the end of the day, the moral, ethical, and spiritual grounds define the quality of the lives that we lead. So, effort should be made to ensure that we lead a cooperative life with healthy competition. This will ensure that we evolve as humans while still maintaining the competitive spirit that has enabled us survive so far.