--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you're competing, you need to be…" description: "\"When you're competing, you need to be selfish. You need to think of yourself first.\" — Ben Askren" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/ben-askren-6167_competing_when-you-re-competing-you-need-to-be-sel_2729790.jpg" --- # When you're competing, you need to be selfish. You need to… ![“When you're competing, you need to be selfish. You need to think of yourself first.” quote by Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/ben-askren-6167_competing_when-you-re-competing-you-need-to-be-sel_2729790.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/ben-askren-6167_competing_when-you-re-competing-you-need-to-be-sel_2729790.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/ben-askren-6167_competing_when-you-re-competing-you-need-to-be-sel_2729790.jpg) > “When you're competing, you need to be selfish. You need to think of yourself first.” [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Selfish focus can sharpen competitive edge by prioritizing personal needs over others. **In simple terms:** Put yourself first to win. Key Takeaway Prioritize personal goals in competition. Themes competition selfishness focus Mood determined assertive Type motivational strategic When to use this quote - sports training - career advancement - personal development Key Concepts psychology performance strategy Questions to Reflect On - How does self‑interest affect team dynamics? - When is selfishness justified? A Different Perspective Selfishness may damage relationships and teamwork. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Competing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) ## Related quotes > [I'll do whatever I need to. I'm not selfish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavon-austin/i-ll-do-whatever-i-need-to-i-m-not-selfish/) [Tavon Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavon-austin/) > [Give some space to people you love the most, you don't need to be selfish and own him/her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syrill-yumang/give-some-space-to-people-you-love-the-most-you-don-t-need-to-be/) Syrill Yumang > [We never know what we have untill its gone its lifes way of teaching us not to take things or anyone for granted as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/car/we-never-know-what-we-have-untill-its-gone-its-lifes-way-of-teaching/) Car > [I am cruel and I am selfish, but this need I have inside me, this need for you and no other, is stronger than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/i-am-cruel-and-i-am-selfish-but-this-need-i-have-inside-me-this-need/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [When Im competing, I need to be strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-wagner/when-im-competing-i-need-to-be-strong/) [Ashley Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-wagner/) > [My father offered me a dollar for every pound I would lose as a kid. It didn't work. And it doesn't really work in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-simmons/my-father-offered-me-a-dollar-for-every-pound-i-would-lose-as-a-kid/) [Richard Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-simmons/) > [When I'm competing, I need to be strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-wagner/when-i-m-competing-i-need-to-be-strong/) [Ashley Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-wagner/) > [I believe that, in order for us to be successful, we need not to be SELFISH, but to share. That can take us from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-believe-that-in-order-for-us-to-be-successful-we-need-not-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have many friends who will always be there whenever I want or need them, But I want someone who might be waiting there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaydeep-vora/i-have-many-friends-who-will-always-be-there-whenever-i-want-or-need/) [Jaydeep Vora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaydeep-vora/) > [I realise that I need to be selfish at times as well as smart in decision-making and just not throw away my wicket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shreyas-iyer/i-realise-that-i-need-to-be-selfish-at-times-as-well-as-smart-in/) [Shreyas Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shreyas-iyer/) > [In this sport if you want to win you need to be selfish, it is that kind of sport, even though it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valtteri-bottas/in-this-sport-if-you-want-to-win-you-need-to-be-selfish-it-is-that/) [Valtteri Bottas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valtteri-bottas/) > [“You will learn that the world is full of good people and bad people, but distinguishing between them is nigh impossible.’ ‘If we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-j-colt/you-will-learn-that-the-world-is-full-of-good-people-and-bad-people/) [K.J. Colt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-j-colt/) > [The problem is that music is selfish in that you need to make it for yourself, so that you can give it away, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-homme/the-problem-is-that-music-is-selfish-in-that-you-need-to-make-it-for/) [Josh Homme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-homme/) > [When you're a driver, you are very selfish and you only need to focus on your own performance because ultimately, it's your name on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-wolff/when-you-re-a-driver-you-are-very-selfish-and-you-only-need-to-focus/) [Susie Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-wolff/) > [In Europe first and now in America, elected men have taken it upon themselves to indebt their people to create an atmosphere of dependency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/in-europe-first-and-now-in-america-elected-men-have-taken-it-upon/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) ## More by Ben Askren > [My main motivation is to prove I'm No. 1 in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-askren/my-main-motivation-is-to-prove-i-m-no-1-in-the-world/) [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) > [Colby Covington has a very low IQ. He says a lot of stupid things, and it's almost embarrassing that he represents our country that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-askren/colby-covington-has-a-very-low-iq-he-says-a-lot-of-stupid-things-and/) [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) > [It's just funny because I think a long time back I was not a fan favorite at all, and now people have followed my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-askren/it-s-just-funny-because-i-think-a-long-time-back-i-was-not-a-fan/) [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) > [Dana White ain't going to take care of you the second after you can't make him a whole bunch of money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-askren/dana-white-ain-t-going-to-take-care-of-you-the-second-after-you-can-t/) [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) > [When I'm thinking of sports, when I'm thinking of a boy growing up and being a man, I'm thinking of three things - honor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-askren/when-i-m-thinking-of-sports-when-i-m-thinking-of-a-boy-growing-up-and/) [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) > [One of my favorite topics to read about my whole life has just been famous athletes, and a lot of those have been combat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-askren/one-of-my-favorite-topics-to-read-about-my-whole-life-has-just-been/) [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) > [I love running my business, and I love wrestling. I love helping kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-askren/i-love-running-my-business-and-i-love-wrestling-i-love-helping-kids/) [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) > [I fight with good strikers every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-askren/i-fight-with-good-strikers-every-day/) [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) > [People are stubborn, and sometimes even if change is good, people will always oppose change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-askren/people-are-stubborn-and-sometimes-even-if-change-is-good-people-will/) [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) > [I don't think I could ever make 155. I made 163 for the Olympics, and that is a super low weight for me. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-askren/i-don-t-think-i-could-ever-make-155-i-made-163-for-the-olympics-and/) [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) > [I try to wrestle one time a week with good, solid people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-askren/i-try-to-wrestle-one-time-a-week-with-good-solid-people/) [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) > [I've got more skills in my pinky finger than half the damn guys in the UFC.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-askren/i-ve-got-more-skills-in-my-pinky-finger-than-half-the-damn-guys-in/) [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) > [I'm not willing to compromise my goals for monetary value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-askren/i-m-not-willing-to-compromise-my-goals-for-monetary-value/) [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) > [The worst 24- to 36-hour period of my whole camp, the part I like the least, is the part where I've gotta cut 13…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-askren/the-worst-24-to-36-hour-period-of-my-whole-camp-the-part-i-like-the/) [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) > [Some people who come from high levels in other backgrounds where they're used to being the best or used to being on a kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-askren/some-people-who-come-from-high-levels-in-other-backgrounds-where-they/) [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) [Explore all 99 Ben Askren quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) ## More Competing quotes > [When you reach that competing point, when you reach that time when the gun is about to go off, everyone's level is pretty much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/when-you-reach-that-competing-point-when-you-reach-that-time-when-the/) [Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/) > [Popular culture as a whole is popular, but in today's fragmented market it's a jostle of competing unpopular popular cultures. As the critic Stanley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/popular-culture-as-a-whole-is-popular-but-in-today-s-fragmented/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [I have no social life. There is no time for one. Once in a while I may go to dinner with a friend but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-halliday/i-have-no-social-life-there-is-no-time-for-one-once-in-a-while-i-may/) [Liz Halliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-halliday/) > [I competed every day as a professional football player... You've got to like competing. That's how your team gets better, when you have competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-competed-every-day-as-a-professional-football-player-you-ve-got-to/) [Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/) > [There are 16 year olds competing at the olympics and i still push on pull doors & struggle getting through the whole day without a nap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-eastwood/there-are-16-year-olds-competing-at-the-olympics-and-i-still-push-on/) [Scott Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-eastwood/) > [I love nothing more than going out there and competing. And baseball's my outlet to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-fried/i-love-nothing-more-than-going-out-there-and-competing-and-baseball-s/) [Max Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-fried/) > [I've always worked closely with the designers and whoever's making the costumes. Comfort is the last thing you want on your mind when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristi-yamaguchi/i-ve-always-worked-closely-with-the-designers-and-whoever-s-making/) [Kristi Yamaguchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristi-yamaguchi/) > [I don't think anybody who carries a rifle carries the future. Because I don't believe that you can really change the world by killing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/i-don-t-think-anybody-who-carries-a-rifle-carries-the-future-because/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [America breeds ambition and while that can be a good thing, sometimes it's not. Ambition also breeds competition and that can be a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaka-khan/america-breeds-ambition-and-while-that-can-be-a-good-thing-sometimes/) [Chaka Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaka-khan/) > [I'll miss the competitive side and the camaraderie of being around the players and competing each and every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scottie-pippen/i-ll-miss-the-competitive-side-and-the-camaraderie-of-being-around/) [Scottie Pippen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scottie-pippen/) > [Being away from the game and just remembering why I love competing and all of that, I think it helped me tremendously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-keys/being-away-from-the-game-and-just-remembering-why-i-love-competing/) [Madison Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-keys/) > [Competing is intense among humans, and within a group, selfish individuals always win. But in contests between groups, groups of altruists always beat groups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/competing-is-intense-among-humans-and-within-a-group-selfish/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [We're competing against other great cities: Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo. That's why it's important that we all join together on the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-daley/we-re-competing-against-other-great-cities-madrid-rio-de-janeiro-and/) [Richard M. Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-daley/) > [That this is not a sense of innovation and competition increasing prices because some other company is coming in and competing with Martin Shkreli.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ann-reid/that-this-is-not-a-sense-of-innovation-and-competition-increasing/) [Joy-Ann Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ann-reid/) > [Some people steal from others, or defraud them, or enslave them, seizing their product and preventing them from living as they choose, or forcibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-nozick/some-people-steal-from-others-or-defraud-them-or-enslave-them-seizing/) [Robert Nozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-nozick/) [Browse all 1,003 Competing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you're competing, you need to be selfish. 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