The Competitive Mentality

(Minghui.org) The competitive mentality fills every corner of China. The entire society has been indoctrinated by the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) philosophy of “struggle.” In some sense, it has become a habit, indispensable to life itself. Why is this?

This is the result of the CCP's education, influence, and brainwashing. All its political movements have been forcing people to participate in the fighting.

The CCP's false philosophy of fighting has changed China from a land that once honored etiquette into a place full of evil, and the Chinese from a people that respected traditional culture and peace into diehard enemies of each other.

Indoctrinated by the CCP

Take me for example. I act properly in public, but at home my spouse often says that I never speak calmly and that my years of cultivation have been in vain.

Of course I don't agree and always have some excuse to counter what my spouse says. My children also joke that I look bitter and hard, and their common feeling is that, whenever I speak, it's like I am reprimanding them.

Hearing such comments really makes me very sad. It is not because I feel that my family is in denial and is disrespecting me, but because I give them such an impression due to my poor cultivation.

If this affects their obtaining the Fa in the future, then I will have committed a big crime.

When we begin to cultivate, even though we strive to follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, our competitive mentality will be revealed from time to time due to the concepts and habits formed from our years of struggling, coupled with the remaining poison of the Party's influence that has not yet been completely eliminated, and the pursuit of fame and fortune that has not been completely relinquished.

The Competitive Mentality Is Harmful

I would like to list the repercussions of the competitive mentality to see what harm it has done.

Forgetting to Be a Cultivator

The fighting mentality is not in line with compassion or forbearance and makes it difficult to be truthful.

The fighting itself is evil, and it deviates from Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. It is very difficult for a person with a strong competitive mentality to reach the realm that “...one should not fight back when being punched or insulted, ...” Zhuan Falun that Master asks of us.

Many practitioners can achieve this at times, but sometimes they have to force themselves to behave like that in their daily lives, especially at home.

When I speak, my voice is harsh, fast, high-pitched, unfriendly, and unpleasant to listen to. That makes it difficult to foster an atmosphere conducive to communication and acceptance, and this inevitably causes disputes and quarrels.

Fortunately, I usually quickly remember that I am a cultivator and will stop immediately, followed by apologies. Words are reflections of thoughts; if words are not kind, then the heart is not compassionate.

Justifying a Bad Temper

Behind a bad temper is a competitive mentality.

I often hear fellow practitioners say that they have bad tempers, and I often said the same. Now I think the reason behind my bad temper is that fighting mentality.

The bad temper is the surface, and behind it is the fighting mentality, which is driven by the attachment to seeking fame and self-interest; therefore, it is not just a bad temper.

Master said:

“As you know, when a person reaches the Arhat level, in his heart he is not concerned about anything. He does not care at all in his heart for any ordinary human matter, and he will always be smiling and in good spirits. No matter how much loss he suffers, he will still be smiling and in good spirits without any concern. If you can really do this, you have already reached the entry-level Fruit Status of Arhatship.” (Zhuan Falun)

Looking Outward Instead of Inward

The competitive mentality prevents cultivators from looking inward. It has you look outward and think others are wrong, thus resulting in following a deviant path.

It makes people irrational and emotional, and it makes them lack compassion and go to extremes. Those people are often unbalanced and jealous.

The competitive mentality can produce jealousy, which in turn encourages people to fight and send energy to the competitive mentality.

Not Letting Go of Anger and Resentment

It is hard to cultivate compassion without letting go of the competitive mentality. This will affect our ability to clarify the truth and help people.

If you harbor anger and resentment, you will not have righteous thoughts. If no compassion and no righteous thoughts are present, or if they are there but are very weak, how can we help people?

People with a strong competitive mentality tend to be self-serving, look down on others, and are not nice. The tendency to compete or fight is always present.

In the face of problems and conflicts, they will rush forward and can rarely take a step back.

Master said:

“...you should always maintain a heart of benevolence and a mind of kindness. If you suddenly bump into a problem, you will be able to take care of it properly. When you always maintain a heart of benevolence and compassion, you will have time or room to buffer the confrontation and think, should a problem arise suddenly. If you always think about competing with others and fighting back and forth, I would say that you will start a fight with others whenever there is a problem—this is guaranteed.” (Zhuan Falun)

A Hindrance to Saving People

The danger of harboring a competitive mentality is not only to us as cultivators but to the losses that it brings about when we try to validate the Fa and help sentient beings. We are Dafa practitioners who assist Master in the Fa-rectification.

Not letting go of the competitive mentality will stain Dafa's reputation and directly affect the salvation of sentient beings. Behind the competitive mentality are the attachments to personal fame, self-interest, and emotion.

Our cultivation eventually needs to reach the righteous enlightenment of selflessness and altruism. Can we achieve that with the mentality of competition?

Therefore, the competitive mentality must be eliminated.