Thorstein Veblen On Competition

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Competition is a major part of society in this day and age; it is practiced in company advertising, politics, sports, and one’s everyday life. People are constantly competing against one another on a daily basis. While an obsession with competing with others can be unhealthy, competition has been shown to have its positive effects in the advancement of society.
In The Theory of the Leisure Class, Thorstein Veblen goes on to claim that competition encourages people to only strive to have a higher status compared to their contemporaries, instead of satisfaction in one’s own life. Veblen states that no matter how much wealth and success is accumulated, one will never be content because they will always be trying to outdo not only others, but themselves. …show more content…
The second student says he only studied enough to get by, while the first student wants to do better and get an A. The second student expresses his frustration with the emphasis on competition in their society, and believes we are all simply taught to compete instead of learn. He claims not only that nobody wants to compete, but that the desire isn’t even natural or healthy. The first student argues the opposite, and claims that nothing would get done if not for competition to drive people, and that it is in fact natural for people to want to stand out from others.
However different they may feel on the subject, both the student’s views support Veblen’s explanation. The second student says that people in our society are constantly competing and trying to surpass one another, like Veblen also claims, but he believes this is bad because they should instead encourage learning. The first student believes people compete to excel and better themselves, and that this is a natural and productive part of society. These both fit into Veblen’s arguments, but shows the negative and positive take on
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