Notes from the book Kohn, A (1986). No Contest: The Case Against Competition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Alfie Kohn: “Life has become an endless succession of contests.” Is life competitive or cooperative? Competition is found in family, work, play, school.

Competition is comparison of individuals but only one can be the best. Is it right to measure yourself against someone? Includes MEGA (mutually exclusive goal attainment)

Types of competition

1. Structural competition: Competition that is inherent within the rules of the game.
   • Number of winners varies depending on the sport or activity. Most US sports only have one winner or winning team.
   • Interaction between participants: Various levels of interactivity occur in different sports such as basketball vs tennis.
   • Subjective vs objective evaluation: Subjective sports include diving, gymnastics, ski jumping, and figure skating.
2. Intentional competition: internally comparing yourself to others.

Myths about competition

1. Competition is unavoidable fact of life, part of human nature.
2. Competition motivates us to do our best.
3. Provides the best if not the only, way to have a good time.
4. Competition builds character.

Some say problem is with how people compete (attitude). Kohn says problem lies not with people but with competition itself.

Sports, play and fun (Alfie Kohn)

Competition vs. Cooperation: Our society is set up totally on competition and this reflects in our sports and leisure.

Play: enjoyment in its purest form. Play is intrinsically gratifying. It is the opposite of work and because it has no goal. It is spontaneous.

Recreation is like our work because it has become competitive. Competition cannot be play because competition is. . .

1. Highly rule structured.
2. Extrinsic: Search for approval
3. Goal oriented: It is anything but a time out from work.

Process competition: In-the-moment experience of struggling for superiority sometimes seen as an end in itself. However, according to Kohn this is ultimately product oriented.

Why competition is not necessary

1. Physical fitness does not require competition.
2. Camaraderie from teamwork is precisely the benefit of cooperative activity but without a loser.
3. Competition does provide zest but ruins the enjoyment and creates addiction.
4. Cooperative games involve strategy and overcoming odds also.

Some sports it is easy to quit keeping score like golf. Interdependent competitive activity like tennis and basketball make it hard to do.

In noncompetitive games the obstacle is intrinsic to the task itself not another person. Could we live in a society with sports like that?