The word competitor derives from the latin term competere which means "to strive in common" or "striving together". It is the combination of com "together" + petere "to strive, to seek".
The term competere "coincide, agree" is also the root of the term ‘competent’ as competence is the basis of an agreed set of standards of professionalism.
Since the industrial revolution, the term competition has became synonymous with trying to beat others in a furious race to acquire and accumulate the most finite resources. Turning a blind eye to the old adage "even if you could own everything in the world, where would you put it?"
Competing has nothing to do with stealing or taking advantage of others for our own selfish benefit. Competition is not a zero sum or short term game.
To vie for, challenge, contend and strive to be the best creator of value for the people we serve has more to do with how and why we apply resources than how or why we accumlate them.
The accumulation of wealth is a natural outcome of the value we create for others. One follows the other. When we focus on accumulation over application we confuse cause and effect; short cuts and corruption soon follow upon our heels (performance enhancement drugs, cooking the books, burying the truth).
Competing is about applying limited resources more wisely than anyone else in order to create more resources in the form of new value, than anyone else. Value begets value.
A common way of growing market share, leveraging economies of scale and reducing overhead is to acquire a competitor. Knitting resources together is not enough. To be successful the new entity needs to strive in common. Some mergers and acquisitions realise this, many more do not.
Competing is a question that always begs an answer to a question that has no bound. Striving in common requires an openess to uncertainty that melts into grace. Meekness is no giving in it is rising up above the illusions of ego.
When we compete we lose something we gain something. What we gain is a a focus, we innovate new forms of value for customers/ society our competitors cannot imagine or repeat.
"Trifles light as air are to the jealous
confirmations strong as proofs of holy writ"
Othello: Act III, Scene 3
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