I went to donate blood at a high school, and while on my back struck up a conversation with several of the students. One thing led to another, and before long we were betting on who would be finished bleeding first. I won, but was a little amused at myself for caring, and for "trying" to win. (I squeezed the rubber ball a bit more often).

Our culture is obsessed with competition. We parade 6 year old girls on stage, and vote on the best one. Student pianists take their turn before judges who award trophies. Singing and dancing contests dominate television. One television program features a man who challenges himself to eat a huge amount of food within a time limit.

Bela Bartok said "competition is for race horses".