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Old 03-01-2012, 10:38 AM   #77
mathewjgano
 
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Dojo: Tsubaki Kannagara Jinja Aikidojo; Himeji Shodokan Dojo
Location: Renton
Join Date: Feb 2005
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Re: How to be non-competitive in a competitive world

Quote:
Andrew Bedford wrote: View Post
A founders vision, this martial art is not for leading the world into destruction by the piling up of weapons, But a way to reconcile the worlds differences, indeed Aikido full fills religion, and can purify the hearts and minds of the aggressor.

If the Aikido world as it seems cannot buy into. Share a vision of this possibility, Willing to accept there is indeed another way that is not based in constant competition with one another, then I do ask the question. What's the point of practicing it?

It becomes empty, empty practice,empty words, and we become empty.

I really don't have much more to say on the competitive mind, it's obvious to me and a few others the degradation that it causes and must be curbed or stopped altogether, by saying no more, each one of us, no more.

No you cannot change people, if they truly don't want to, then it must be our job as a human being, to stop the madnes the insanity and cruelty ourselves, starting today with ourselves, and pray to whoever god you believe in that it works, because we can see from history, more violence does not cut it either.
Change can only come from the individual, simply saying, No more, enough is enough, I think O' sensei said this to terry Dobson, when discussing weight training. No Terry enough is enough, no more.

In Budo

Andy B
I've been itching to post on this because I think it's a facinating topic in a variety of ways. I agree with the idea that many people are "too competitive" and that the world would be a much nicer place if people worked together more. To me it's simple math that resources working together add up to more than resources working against each other. That's over-simplified compared to reality, but I'm confident in it as a rule of thumb.
Competition is neither good or bad on its own. It's a fact of life and while being part of the negative situations you've described, it's not the competition that makes them negative. Competition is kind of like the car that you drive to go do something: what you choose to do is still left to be decided; the car just helps you get there. It is human nature to be self-centered and hoard resources. It is human nature to be social and share. If we didn't look out for ourselves, we wouldn't have a society to look out for also. If we weren't social, we wouldn't be the dominant species on the planet (i.e. we wouldn't have the success we generally do), and we as individuals would be rather ineffectual.
Yes, people compete as a matter of habit and that can be troublesome, but people also practice avoidance or subservience as a matter of habit, and that can be just as bad in its own way. So I wouldn't say one ought be non-competitive so much as autonomous and kind. I love competition when it's done in a fun, caring atmosphere. It's the caring that makes the difference, not the competition...in my opinion.
Take care,
Matt
p.s. As regards "Harmonization" in Aikido: my understanding, coming somewhat from a Jinja Shinto perspective, is that we ought harmonize with Great Nature. We harmonize with Daishizen in order to reveal the smaller "truths" by comparison.

Last edited by mathewjgano : 03-01-2012 at 10:46 AM.

Gambarimashyo!
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