In today’s hyperconnected and performance-driven world, competition is no longer confined to sports arenas or academic examinations, but has permeated through nearly every aspect of our lives. From perfectly curated social media posts in desperation for likes, to silent rivalry amongst colleagues, classmates and even among friends, there has been a pressure to be better, faster, or more successful. This idea of “competition” is not solely a source of motivation, but rather a cultural default ingrained in us.

So, why did we frame everything into competition? Moreover, at what cost?

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1. Scarcity Mindset

We have made everything a competition largely because of a deep-rooted scarcity mindset – the beliefs that resources, recognition and successes are limited, so one individual's gain must come at the expense of another. Psychologically, the scarcity mindset originates from our brain’s survival instincts. When we sense lack, the amygdala (a small, almond-shaped structure in the brain) activates, triggering anxiety and competitive behavior as a survival mechanism.

When we perceive something as limited, our attention becomes fixated on securing it, often at the expense of rational decision making. Studies by Mullainathan and Shafir show that this cognitive tunnel vision stems from evolutionary pressures, where competing for or securing scarce resources meant life or death. Many generations down the line, this mindset is still hardwired in us, shaping how we behave even in modern settings.

This mentality is reinforced by social, economic and cultural systems that reward winners, rank performance and glorify unrealistic levels of productivity, from schools, workplaces to social media platforms and even to the geopolitical landscape.

In a world that often feels uncertain and volatile, competing becomes a way to assert control, prove worth and secure survival. However, this relentless drive to do well and be better than others creates a cycle where everyone feels pressured to race, even when the finishing line is perpetually moving, and where we are blinded to the power of cooperation.

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2. Toxic influence of Social Media

For an enterprising individual, platforms such as Instagram, Tiktok, and LinkedIn have become a virtual scoreboard for daily life. Each achievement is celebrated; every hobby is polished and marketed into a side gig or a side hustle, and every moment, leisure or work, is curated for public consumption, or with an ulterior motive of attaining validation.

Where once somebody’s personal milestones were reading a book, or going for an exercise session, subtly now, these milestones are framed in the guise of extreme productivity, discipline and aesthetic mastery. It has stopped being just about doing things, now it is about attaining goals, and raising the bar.

Even in wellness and mental health, competition seeps in. The rise of self-care culture, while necessary and important, is often distorted into yet another arena of comparison. This has been hijacked greatly by social media aesthetics.

People feel pressure to “heal better,” meditate longer, or have more aesthetically pleasing routines. This is especially evident in the rise of #selfcaretok or #productivity vlogs on social media. Consequently, this leads many to forget that healing is personal, not performative.Instead of offering relief, these routines evoke anxiety – especially when your version of “ balance” does not look perfect or “Instagram worthy.”

Most of all, the idea has made a seismic shift from simply protecting your peace or getting some escapism from daily life to being better than someone else, and making sure the whole world has knowledge of it. The result? Burnout.

Exhaustion. A sense of never being able to catch a break.

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3. Toxicity in education

In schools, students' lives are made harder by not only the academic burden, but also the additional pressure and desire to constantly outperform their peers. The fear of falling behind breeds a high-stress, low empathy environment, where failure is not a lesson, but a threat to self-worth. They make a mistake and define themselves as worthless.

Education systems globally, from Asian countries such as Singapore, China, Japan and South Korea to the United States, reflect this unhealthy obsession with comparison. This scarcity mindset is reflected clearly in our education systems, where university acceptances, awards, leadership positions, scholarships and high grades become the currency in the race towards success, fuelling a climate where comparison and competition overshadow collaboration and curiosity. This same mindset carries into the workforce, where productivity, promotions, and prestige often outweigh wellbeing, creativity, and collaborative teamwork.

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4. World stage of rivalry

This mindset carries through on a global scale. With globalization on the rise, the logic of scarcity and the race to become the world’s leading superpower is all the more prominent. Strike anywhere you like: at the international arena, the US - China competition acts as a key example for how the concept of rivalry is applied in international politics. Be it technology, trade, AI, or military presence, what is common is that the two nations have been a seesawing battle, not necessarily for domination, but control of narrative. This reflects the culture that only one of the candidates can "win," and that win has to come at the expense of the other.

This geopolitical competition trickles down into global systems, shaping climate policies, technology evolution, even the strategies to deal with public health. For instance, vaccine diplomacy was a competitive arena during the COVID-19 period. Countries started racing to see who had the superior vaccine, who distributed more and who discovered the vaccines first. The pandemic, possibly the strongest call-for-united action ever heard, had once more become the political stage for one-upmanship.

5. Resolution: How do we move forward?

How do we work to set up a forward momentum? There needs to be the acknowledgment of this truth that not everything is to be won. One country being ahead doesn't mean a second has to fall behind.

One person's growth reduces no one else's value. If we could move away from this scarcity attitude to one of common good and togetherness, where collaboration, community, and empathy are foremost, we would be on our way to healing this toxic spirit germinated by competition on our own.

It is time now to stop rushing for the top. After all, we are all on our individual journeys and grow at our own pace in our own time.