Times have changed. There was a time when it wasn’t whether you won or lost, but how you played the game. People in general really believed that. Somewhere, along the line it changed to “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing”. Now it may have even progressed to anything that assists us in not feeling like a loser.
As I observe “winners” trying to feel that way when someone they support actually does the winning, be it a politician, or an athlete; is it more an attempt to not feel like a loser by grabbing on to anything that they can remotely claim to be theirs?
Does survival itself represent winning? Is that enough, or do you need to attach yourself to someone else’s coat-tails to feel any value? I’m think that I might be a victim of being influenced by “winners” who have used a fundamental need to feel like a winner, or not be a loser, to their advantage. Do you need to be on the winning team, or can you accept only the wins that you are directly responsible for?
© 2026 – SoulSequel
9 responses to “Winning?”
A trophy only looks good for a very short while. Without constant maintenance they become dusty and tarnished. ( so we responded by making them of cheap plastic that harms the environment and doesn’t tarnish!)
Winner-by-proxy is little different than life-by-proxy. Neither the win nor the life is truly yours.
Things do change however when one’s process expands beyond selfishness. A shared victory you had a hand in that is a win for the species is no less of a personal victory. Unless ego tries to take more credit for it than is warranted: which is a very”loser” prospect. (Taking for yourself that which rightfully belongs to another. Enriching a billionaire by buying an overpriced ticket or beer or driving up TV ratings just makes one party to greed; not victory)
Which leaves us so desperate for personal wins that we will grasp at whatever hollow plastic trophies are offered. ( Sports, politics, religion, controlling others into apologizing!)
I’m starting to wonder if taking credit for someone else’s win has become this antidote to offset how people really reel about themselves when they really examine their own capacities.
If you Google winning and select images, you see as much psychotic illustrations as you might inspirational. It’s kinda weird. When winning is everything, it seems like whoever gets hurt in the process becomes justified. That seems pretty fake to me.
Desperation with a topping of psychosis?
My thought is we can enjoy games like sports and lotteries and even “Monopoly” without the psychotic desperation to “be a winner”.
People who know they have some genuine wins in life, don’t need to prove it.
I think the latter appeals more to me. As I’ve gained more experience at this thing called life I think i realize that “winning” comes from within. Sure it’s fun to be on a winning team, but I think that in the end, many of those team winnings quickly fade from memory. I think it’s because many team winnings are of little significance to our personal growth and have little affect in our long-term successes.
But that’s just my opinion and position. I also feel that there are those who obtain enough positive feels from the winning of another(be it a team or someone that they support) to be content. I think one’s position on being a winner or being on a winning team is influenced by their motivation to achieve personal success.
It seems that most of us are in one of 2 pools:
1 – win at all cost, win at everything, win life, be a winner (fuck those who get in your way) – we are taught that winning is everything and those who die with the most wins. This is crazy.
2 – appreciate all that happens and live your life (do you really need to win at everything?)
Why can’t we just accept, adjust, and appreciate?
I was a failure at being a 1. I got close, but the closer I got, the more I questioned the actual value of the end win.
As a 2, I have discovered a more significant sense of win by being me first, instead of who someone else has the capacity to make me think I should be.
btw, That quote attributed to Vince wasn’t his. It was Red Sanders of the UCLA Bruins. Vince just became a well earned icon of the axiom.
I still follow Lombardisms in my head that have been drilled into me like “If you’re not 5 minutes early. you’re 5 minutes late” or something like that. I hear that whenever I am on my way to an appointment. Somebody drilled that into my head and it will never go away. Just another form of “acceptable” brainwashing
Immortal…WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER.
Mortal…You lose. There is no ring for second place, but here’s a participation trophy just for showing up…
I think if you mean by “survival”, immortality, then, yes, that represents “winning”, especially when what is usually being “won” in the world is not anything that adds a single minute to their lives…
I live in a bubble, so it is a bit difficult for me to comment here. I view these sorts of people, usually from afar, or only as practice dummies which are not real.
Everyone I know, it is about team, the group, the corporate body.
I have not the slightest doubt that the old way will go the way of the dodo, so while I do see so many pushing to “win”… I see what they do not see, quite clearly. That they are running off a cliff. And, so, completely wasting their time.
Second response, different perspective.
I think everyone wants to be right, to be even righteous. And to be right means really to win. But, they do not know how to go about it.
And often you have to lose to maintain being right.