So, after re-reading my old post, about the Chicago Marathon, hot weather, and heat stroke, thoughts which were brought on by the untimely death of a marathoner, I find myself wondering: Why do we do it?
Why do we compete like this? What is it about human nature that makes us do this? Some people run marathons; some people swim the English Channel; I ride bicycle centuries. But why do we do it?
I don't know about you all, but sometimes, I feel driven. I feel that I need to push myself, to see how far I can go, how hard I can push my body, how fast I can move. I don't often feel that I'm competing against the other riders, but I do feel that I am locked in a race with myself. I always want to surpass my last best time, or exceed my personal best single-ride distance. I think I just want to see if I can.
The exception, of course, is when I go jogging with my wife. That's strictly a matter of pride, because I just can't let her show me up. Of course, she jogs three times a week, and I barely go three times a month, so I don't usually look so good jogging. But again, pride won't let me stop.
So what do you think? Is this human nature? Are we "hard wired" for competition? Or is this a cultural phenomenon, something in the way we're brought up that glorifies the game, and because we've taught to think this way from childhood, we don't even notice it anymore?
Does it really come down to the old nature/nurture dichotomy? Or is it just that competing with each other, and with ourselves, is fun?
