The Downside of Winning

We like to win in every game we play and in every life situation. Usually, we hate it when we have to lose, and at times we even go to the extent of trying unfair means to secure a victory. However, is victory always good for us? Definitely not. As good as a victory is, it has its downside too. A defeat or a failure can be an unpleasant experience, but it can be a great source of experience and learning. If we want to build ourselves, a healthy mix of wins and losses can be more suitable than all wins. 

Sounds counter intuitive? Let me narrate a story to illustrate the point.

Ritwik was a young boy who liked nothing more in the world than to win. He loved winning everything. And because he couldn't stand losing, he became an expert in all kinds of tricks and cheating. He could play tricks in practically every situation, without being noticed; even in video games or while playing alone. He could win every time without ever being caught. He won so often that everyone started seeing him as the champion.

But it meant that almost no one wanted to play with him; he was just too far ahead of everyone. One person who did play with him was a poor boy Kartik, who was a bit younger. Ritwik really enjoyed himself at Kartik's expense, always making him look ridiculous.

After some time, Ritwik ended up getting bored with the monotony of the situation. He needed something more, so he decided to play in the national games championship, where he would find competitors of his caliber. At the championship, he was keen to show his skills, but as he tried to use the tricks that he had used in the past, none of them worked there. The judges had taken care to prevent any unfair trick.

He felt terribly embarrassed because he thought he was a good player, but without his unfair tricks, he couldn't beat a single competitor. He was soon eliminated and sat there, sad and pensive.

Finally when they announced the name of the tournament champion, he was surprised to find that it was Kartik, whom he had always beaten. He couldn't understand how was it possible!

Finally he realized that Kartik had learned from every defeat, and he had persevered and worked diligently on improving his game. It was not important for Kartik if he lost a game or got a good beating so long as he was learning from each of his defeats; And with so much learning and training, he transformed himself into a real champion.

So, let us not hate losing, and resolve to take every defeat to learn and strengthen ourselves. Play for a win, but do not try to grab the victory by any means.