--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Traditional competition forces us to take…" description: "\"“Traditional competition forces us to take on an attitude of winning. A worthy rival inspires us to take an attitude of improvement. The former focuses..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/simon-sinek-349_competition_traditional-competition-forces-us-to-tak_1292338.jpg" --- # Traditional competition forces us to take on an attitude… ![“Traditional competition forces us to take on an attitude of winning. A worthy rival inspires us to take an attitude of improvement. The former focuses our attention on the outcome, the latter focuses our attention on process.” quote by Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/simon-sinek-349_competition_traditional-competition-forces-us-to-tak_1292338.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/simon-sinek-349_competition_traditional-competition-forces-us-to-tak_1292338.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/simon-sinek-349_competition_traditional-competition-forces-us-to-tak_1292338.jpg) > ““Traditional competition forces us to take on an attitude of winning. A worthy rival inspires us to take an attitude of improvement. The former focuses our attention on the outcome, the latter focuses our attention on process.”” [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Competing to win emphasizes results, while a worthy rival encourages focusing on personal growth and process. **In simple terms:** Winning looks outward; improvement looks inward. Key Takeaway Shift focus from outcome to process. Themes competition improvement mindset process growth Mood reflective motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - team sports - business strategy - personal development - creative projects Key Concepts psychology motivation performance learning Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn rivals into mentors? - What processes can you improve today? A Different Perspective Outcome focus can breed stress and short‑term thinking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attitude Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude-winning-271330/) [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvement/) [Inspires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspires/) [Outcome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outcome/) [Rival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rival/) [Rival Inspires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rival-inspires-4214855/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Traditional Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traditional-competition-4214857/) [Worthy Rival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worthy-rival-4214856/) ## Related quotes > [Coach Izzo has established a culture and an attitude of winning and I want to be part of that. He does a great job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaren-jackson-jr/coach-izzo-has-established-a-culture-and-an-attitude-of-winning-and-i/) [Jaren Jackson, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaren-jackson-jr/) > [We all have great inner power. The power is self-faith. There's really an attitude to winning. 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We're about winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-adams/as-athletes-the-biggest-asset-that-we-bring-to-the-workplace-is-our/) [Katrina Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-adams/) > [I think Gilbert Burns is going to become my greatest rival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chiesa/i-think-gilbert-burns-is-going-to-become-my-greatest-rival/) [Michael Chiesa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chiesa/) > [How much in love with himself, and that too without a rival!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/how-much-in-love-with-himself-and-that-too-without-a-rival/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [There are people who, on meeting a successful rival, no matter in what, are at once disposed to turn their backs on everything good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/there-are-people-who-on-meeting-a-successful-rival-no-matter-in-what/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Andre Agassi was my rival in the '90s, and I think as we got older we sort of transcended the game. He was probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sampras/andre-agassi-was-my-rival-in-the-90s-and-i-think-as-we-got-older-we/) [Pete Sampras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sampras/) > [“Together, we form a necessary paradox; not a senseless contradiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/together-we-form-a-necessary-paradox-not-a-senseless-contradiction/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [I embrace my rival, but only to strangle him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-racine/i-embrace-my-rival-but-only-to-strangle-him/) [Jean Racine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-racine/) > [“... truth, whose mother is history, who is the rival of time, depository of deeds, witness of the past, example and lesson to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/truth-whose-mother-is-history-who-is-the-rival-of-time-depository-of/) [Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/) > [Every day is like survival. You're my lover, not my rival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/culture-club/every-day-is-like-survival-you-re-my-lover-not-my-rival/) [Culture Club](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/culture-club/) > [Life is art's rival and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyndham-lewis/life-is-art-s-rival-and-vice-versa/) [Wyndham Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyndham-lewis/) > [To realise belatedly that there are Swahili epic poems which rival their European equivalents for sweep and power has been exciting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-foden/to-realise-belatedly-that-there-are-swahili-epic-poems-which-rival/) [Giles Foden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-foden/) ## More by Simon Sinek > [Notoriously outspoken, his sentences always punctuated with profanities, General George S. Patton was the epitome of what a leader should be like - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/notoriously-outspoken-his-sentences-always-punctuated-with/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [“When you are with Marines gathering to eat, you will notice that the most junior are served first and the most senior are served…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/when-you-are-with-marines-gathering-to-eat-you-will-notice-that-the/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [A parent does not do everything for their kid. A parent that does everything for their kid produces a kid with no self-confidence. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/a-parent-does-not-do-everything-for-their-kid-a-parent-that-does/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [Don't wait for perfection before you start. Start somewhere so you can have something tangible you can work to perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/don-t-wait-for-perfection-before-you-start-start-somewhere-so-you-can/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [Followers want to be taken care of. Leaders want to take care of others. We can all be leaders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/followers-want-to-be-taken-care-of-leaders-want-to-take-care-of/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [“Goethe, the great nineteenth-century thinker, reportedly summed up, “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/goethe-the-great-nineteenth-century-thinker-reportedly-summed-up-you/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [Pursue the thing inside us and others will help us. Pursue the things outside us and others will compete with us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/pursue-the-thing-inside-us-and-others-will-help-us-pursue-the-things/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [“When a WHY goes fuzzy, it becomes much more difficult to maintain the growth, loyalty and inspiration that helped drive the original success. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/when-a-why-goes-fuzzy-it-becomes-much-more-difficult-to-maintain-the/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [“Without the protection of our leaders, everyone outside the inner circle is forced to work alone or in small tribes to protect and advance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/without-the-protection-of-our-leaders-everyone-outside-the-inner/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [Any great and inspiring leader or organization that ever existed set out to do something completely unrealistic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/any-great-and-inspiring-leader-or-organization-that-ever-existed-set/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [I try to find, celebrate and teach leaders how to build platforms that will inspire others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/i-try-to-find-celebrate-and-teach-leaders-how-to-build-platforms-that/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [Instead of showing up to let everyone know how great we are, show up to find out how great everyone else is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/instead-of-showing-up-to-let-everyone-know-how-great-we-are-show-up/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [Knowledge is understanding based on what has been studied and learned. Wisdom is understanding based on what has been felt and experienced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/knowledge-is-understanding-based-on-what-has-been-studied-and-learned/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [There's only one of me. With you using the why in the center of your work helps me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/there-s-only-one-of-me-with-you-using-the-why-in-the-center-of-your/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [“they didn't examine the problem and accumulate data to figure out the best solution - they engineered the outcome they wanted from the beginning.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/they-didn-t-examine-the-problem-and-accumulate-data-to-figure-out-the/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) [Explore all 654 Simon Sinek quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) ## More Competition quotes > [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. It is football in its purest form and is different from the continuity of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-laudrup/the-copa-del-rey-is-a-different-competition-it-is-football-in-its/) [Michael Laudrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-laudrup/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [People think that the Club World Cup is an easy competition, but it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keylor-navas/people-think-that-the-club-world-cup-is-an-easy-competition-but-it-s/) [Keylor Navas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keylor-navas/) > [If you ask another competitor, they may tell you they felt very competitive towards me. But I can tell you that my biggest competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/if-you-ask-another-competitor-they-may-tell-you-they-felt-very/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [“At times, competition can be a good thing. But a person's value isn't something that can be ranked, is it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hotaru-odagiri/at-times-competition-can-be-a-good-thing-but-a-person-s-value-isn-t/) [Hotaru Odagiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hotaru-odagiri/) > [Our competition has always been anything that is wasting your time when you're bored at work. In a broad sense. We want people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-ohanian/our-competition-has-always-been-anything-that-is-wasting-your-time/) [Alexis Ohanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-ohanian/) > [I've always considered making it legal for Americans to import their prescription drugs a free-trade issue. Imports create competition and keep domestic industry more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-grassley/i-ve-always-considered-making-it-legal-for-americans-to-import-their/) [Chuck Grassley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-grassley/) > [Honestly, we’ll compete with everybody. I love competition. As long as people invent their own stuff, I love competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/honestly-we-ll-compete-with-everybody-i-love-competition-as-long-as/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [I try to keep up with everything - all wrestling across the board. I want to know what the competition is doing, what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-hardy/i-try-to-keep-up-with-everything-all-wrestling-across-the-board-i/) [Matt Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-hardy/) > [Sometimes in England, people look down at the Europa League, but being from the continent, I've always realised what an important competition it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mignolet/sometimes-in-england-people-look-down-at-the-europa-league-but-being/) [Simon Mignolet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mignolet/) > [“There is a scene in one of the Rocky movies where after the match Apollo Creed and Rocky are waiting for the scoring of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/there-is-a-scene-in-one-of-the-rocky-movies-where-after-the-match/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [I've always written. When I was in school, the only teacher who ever liked me was my creative writing teacher. I used to enter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-ve-always-written-when-i-was-in-school-the-only-teacher-who-ever/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [Competition between men is a fuel that's useful to us. We have to be careful that it doesn't tell the same story over too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-irwin/competition-between-men-is-a-fuel-that-s-useful-to-us-we-have-to-be/) [Bill Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-irwin/) [Browse all 3,894 Competition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Traditional competition forces us to take on an attitude of winning. A worthy rival inspires us to take an attitude of improvement. 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