Competition: Against vs. Together
One Idea
The ancient Greeks used two words when talking about competition: antagonízomai and synagonismos.
Ant·agon·ízomai means ‘to strive against.’ In terms of sophistication, it’s the lesser of the two meanings. Why? Because it only requires a single individual, and it defines itself by what it’s against. Antagonízomai is where we get words like antagonize, rival, and contend.
Antagonízomai is what my children do. They don’t communicate well, they don’t often share, and they’re usually incapable of working together. If they do compete, it’s on their own or against one another.
Syn·agon·ismos means ‘to strive together.’ This definition is more mature because it involves communication, complexity, and calls for a group of people to work collectively toward a common goal. Synagonismos defines itself by what it’s for and where it’s going.
In team sports, synagonismos is what you want.
Synagonismos is why some teams with lesser talent compete against–and defeat–teams with greater overall talent. If synagonismos is achieved, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
Two Quotes
“Individual commitment to a group effort--that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." - Vince Lombardi
"No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it." – H.E. Luccock
Three Takeaways
1. Eleven three-star athletes working together > Eleven five-star athletes working against. We don’t need more talent. What we need is humility, trust, and the execution of striving together as one.
2. Communication is a cornerstone. If a group of people with differing perspectives, experiences, and knowledge are to come together at all, what one quality would you say they’d need to embody? Yes. An ability and willingness to communicate. Communication involves voicing your perspective and listening to the perspectives of others.
3. In competition, we either compete against or compete together. The one we choose consistently will determine how far we’ll go.
