---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My fear is we're not teaching…"
description: "\"My fear is we're not teaching competition. We're shielding people from it. For the longest time children, you know, nobody's allowed to win anything, p..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/556/rush-limbaugh-28_amount_my-fear-is-we-re-not-teaching-competitio_1013002.jpg"
---

#  My fear is we're not teaching competition. We're shielding…

![“My fear is we're not teaching competition. We're shielding people from it. For the longest time children, you know, nobody's allowed to win anything, participation trophies. But when you get to real life and if you really want to amount to something, when you get whatever line of work you're in…” quote by Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/556/rush-limbaugh-28_amount_my-fear-is-we-re-not-teaching-competitio_1013002.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/556/rush-limbaugh-28_amount_my-fear-is-we-re-not-teaching-competitio_1013002.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/556/rush-limbaugh-28_amount_my-fear-is-we-re-not-teaching-competitio_1013002.jpg)

> “My fear is we're not teaching competition. We're shielding people from it. For the longest time children, you know, nobody's allowed to win anything, participation trophies. But when you get to real life and if you really want to amount to something, when you get whatever line of work you're in, as you get to the top of that line of work, there are very few people there.”

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He argues that protecting children from competition hinders their ability to succeed in a competitive adult world.

**In simple terms:** Shielding kids from competition limits future success.

Key Takeaway

Encourage healthy competition early.

Themes

competition education growth resilience

Mood

critical reflective

Type

advice commentary

When to use this quote

- school sports
- academic grading
- career advancement
- team projects

Key Concepts

psychology social development motivation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we balance encouragement with competition?
- What risks arise from eliminating competition?

A Different Perspective

Overprotecting may cause burnout or anxiety later.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Amount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amount/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-teaching-909861/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Participation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/participation/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-life/) [Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching/) [Teaching Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching-competition-2211195/) [Trophies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trophies/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Win Participation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win-participation-2211196/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/)

## Related quotes

> [“We'll never realize our potential if we always live inside the boundaries of what we fear. Teaching society to be afraid and stay tucked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kacvinsky/we-ll-never-realize-our-potential-if-we-always-live-inside-the-2/)

[Katie Kacvinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kacvinsky/)

> [Anything that annoys you is teaching you patience. Anyone who abandons you is teaching you how to stand up on your own two feet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/anything-that-annoys-you-is-teaching-you-patience-anyone-who-abandons/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [I think the idea of participation trophies has gotta be a really, really great thing. Kids are under enough pressure as it is without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taron-egerton/i-think-the-idea-of-participation-trophies-has-gotta-be-a-really/)

[Taron Egerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taron-egerton/)

> [Participation trophies are the soul herpes of a generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-titus/participation-trophies-are-the-soul-herpes-of-a-generation/)

[Christopher Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-titus/)

> [It still boils down to one thing: The left cannot beat Fox News in the arena of cable news. The media, the left cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/it-still-boils-down-to-one-thing-the-left-cannot-beat-fox-news-in-the/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Look at the way liberals name things. "Net neutrality." It's like Switzerland! They don't take sides, everybody's fair, everything's the same. It's not what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/look-at-the-way-liberals-name-things-net-neutrality-it-s-like/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [When you get down to the meat and potatoes of genuine capitalism, it is cutthroat, vicious competition, and the consumer always benefits in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/when-you-get-down-to-the-meat-and-potatoes-of-genuine-capitalism-it/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Just going out on a foray to assemble a collection of street trophies about this or that running social sore can't be effective -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-rosler/just-going-out-on-a-foray-to-assemble-a-collection-of-street-trophies/)

[Martha Rosler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-rosler/)

> [Listing the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act could harm bear conservation efforts by eliminating revenues from the carefully-regulated sport hunting of polar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-ridenour/listing-the-polar-bear-under-the-endangered-species-act-could-harm/)

[Amy Ridenour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-ridenour/)

> [I'm hearing in youth sports where you're not allowed to post scores of games online; everybody's gotta get a trophy. I mean, that's ridiculous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carli-lloyd/i-m-hearing-in-youth-sports-where-you-re-not-allowed-to-post-scores/)

[Carli Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carli-lloyd/)

> [To me it's the best trophy you can win and to bring it back for all them fans that have supported us right through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-gerrard/to-me-it-s-the-best-trophy-you-can-win-and-to-bring-it-back-for-all/)

[Steven Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-gerrard/)

> [There is a congratulatory culture in the Gulf. From birth onwards, there is a culture of giving people trophies as markers of achievement for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayshay/there-is-a-congratulatory-culture-in-the-gulf-from-birth-onwards/)

[Ayshay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayshay/)

> [He put his arms around her. “Well, in my defense, then, whatever I did seemed to work, didn't it?” She sighed. “I suppose.” “You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/he-put-his-arms-around-her-well-in-my-defense-then-whatever-i-did/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [Happiness is not about the trophy, or the finish line. It's the journey. If you enjoy your journey, you can enjoy your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pharrell-williams/happiness-is-not-about-the-trophy-or-the-finish-line-it-s-the-journey/)

[Pharrell Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pharrell-williams/)

> [You've just got to keep working hard, keep plugging along. That's how great teams win more trophies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-bale/you-ve-just-got-to-keep-working-hard-keep-plugging-along-that-s-how/)

[Gareth Bale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gareth-bale/)

## More by Rush Limbaugh

> [You can criticize Trump and his wealth all day long, but you can't say he hasn't worked. You can say that about the Clintons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/you-can-criticize-trump-and-his-wealth-all-day-long-but-you-can-t-say/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [ I guarantee you \[Hillary Clinton\] is smoking in humiliation over the idea that she needs to heal and that \[Donald\] Trump's the guy to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-guarantee-you-hillary-clinton-is-smoking-in-humiliation-over-the/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [How do you, on the one hand, not object to Hillary Clinton being elected, and then, on the other hand, tell people, "Elect me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/how-do-you-on-the-one-hand-not-object-to-hillary-clinton-being/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [ The real leadership of the opposition is never, ever gonna do anything but continue to ramp up efforts to stop \[Donald\] Trump or destroy… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-real-leadership-of-the-opposition-is-never-ever-gonna-do-anything/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [I can't see the Democrats working with Donald Trump on tax reform unless the rich get soaked. The thing about this that should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-can-t-see-the-democrats-working-with-donald-trump-on-tax-reform/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Once you convince people that they're victims, you really own them because you've just told them that whatever problems they have in life, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/once-you-convince-people-that-they-re-victims-you-really-own-them/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [We're in more wars today under Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton than under George W. Bush or Ronald Reagan. Yet they tell you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-re-in-more-wars-today-under-barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-than/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [People from all over the world came to America and assimilated into a single culture rooted in the founding, which is rooted in individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/people-from-all-over-the-world-came-to-america-and-assimilated-into-a/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [The left wants to transform America away from founding ideals, and this is it. And they know it. And they're doing everything they, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-left-wants-to-transform-america-away-from-founding-ideals-and/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [There's such cultural rot taking place, such a disintegration throughout our culture. Values, morality, you name it. Standards have been relaxed, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-such-cultural-rot-taking-place-such-a-disintegration/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [There is an all-out assault now on the Christian community in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-is-an-all-out-assault-now-on-the-christian-community-in-this/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [It doesn't matter to me where Barack Obama goes. If he wants to go to Hawaii because it's his home state, fine! Hunky-dory. Plastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/it-doesn-t-matter-to-me-where-barack-obama-goes-if-he-wants-to-go-to/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [ Four states where \[Democrats\] have the governorship and both houses of the legislature. That's it. They have lost seats. They are not gonna win… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/four-states-where-democrats-have-the-governorship-and-both-houses-of/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

[Explore all 2,819 Rush Limbaugh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

## More Amount quotes

> [Dating someone on the opposite end of the happy spectrum teaches you an incredible amount of patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pine/dating-someone-on-the-opposite-end-of-the-happy-spectrum-teaches-you/)

[Chris Pine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pine/)

> [When the amount of change externally exceeds the amount of change internally, the end is in sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/when-the-amount-of-change-externally-exceeds-the-amount-of-change/)

[Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/)

> [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-a-great-story-for-us-whenever-an-entrepreneur-makes-a-crazy/)

[Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/)

> [It's a challenge to work a character's arc into a format in which you only have a very limited amount of time to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/it-s-a-challenge-to-work-a-character-s-arc-into-a-format-in-which-you/)

[Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/)

> [The amount of things you can do with a kettlebell is unsurpassed by any other training equipment - dumbbells, resistance machines, free weights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/the-amount-of-things-you-can-do-with-a-kettlebell-is-unsurpassed-by/)

[Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/)

> [The amount you give isn't important. What matters is what that amount represents in terms of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/the-amount-you-give-isn-t-important-what-matters-is-what-that-amount/)

[Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/)

> [There's a place in Botswana where there are 100,000 elephants living in a single population. Think of the amount of space they need. Remember,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-bergin/there-s-a-place-in-botswana-where-there-are-100-000-elephants-living/)

[Patrick Bergin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-bergin/)

> [How could you justify giving Holland twice the amount of money that you gave Belgium? Well, finally, I put it up to them. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-averell-harriman/how-could-you-justify-giving-holland-twice-the-amount-of-money-that/)

[W. Averell Harriman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-averell-harriman/)

> [I am not a great believer in dialectical struggle. I am much more of a fusion person. I see it as a dialogue, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-warner/i-am-not-a-great-believer-in-dialectical-struggle-i-am-much-more-of-a/)

[Marina Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-warner/)

> [The risk of developing carcinoma of the lung increases steadily as the amount smoked increases. If the risk among non-smokers is taken as unity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-doll/the-risk-of-developing-carcinoma-of-the-lung-increases-steadily-as/)

[Richard Doll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-doll/)

> [Both fact and logic seem to me to support the view that savings invested in privately owned economic tools of production amount to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-a-harper/both-fact-and-logic-seem-to-me-to-support-the-view-that-savings/)

[F. A. Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-a-harper/)

> [You have a little bit of talent, a certain amount of good fortune and a lot of hard work in pursuit of whatever truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/you-have-a-little-bit-of-talent-a-certain-amount-of-good-fortune-and/)

[Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/)

> [I have a tremendous amount of respect for military families. To have to worry about your loved ones and still try and live a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashanti/i-have-a-tremendous-amount-of-respect-for-military-families-to-have/)

[Ashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashanti/)

> [In sports teams, apart from talk of sporting prowess and the imparting of inspirational thought, an extraordinary amount of time is spent discussing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harsha-bhogle/in-sports-teams-apart-from-talk-of-sporting-prowess-and-the-imparting/)

[Harsha Bhogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harsha-bhogle/)

[Browse all 4,202 Amount quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amount/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "My fear is we're not teaching competition. We're shielding people from it. For the longest time children, you know, nobody's allowed to win anything, participation trophies. But when you get to real life and if you really want to amount to something, when you get whatever line of work you're in, as you get to the top of that line of work, there are very few people there.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Rush Limbaugh"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/my-fear-is-we-re-not-teaching-competition-we-re-shielding-people-from/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Amount"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/my-fear-is-we-re-not-teaching-competition-we-re-shielding-people-from/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/556/rush-limbaugh-28_amount_my-fear-is-we-re-not-teaching-competitio_1013002.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/556/rush-limbaugh-28_amount_my-fear-is-we-re-not-teaching-competitio_1013002.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/556/rush-limbaugh-28_amount_my-fear-is-we-re-not-teaching-competitio_1013002.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“My fear is we're not teaching competition. We're shielding people from it. For the longest time children…” — Rush Limbaugh",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Rush Limbaugh",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "My fear is we're not teaching...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/my-fear-is-we-re-not-teaching-competition-we-re-shielding-people-from/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/my-fear-is-we-re-not-teaching-competition-we-re-shielding-people-from/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
