The following Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Lehman.

The Primal Competitive Instinct. What is it good for? These days we have a mixed relationship

with competition, and maybe rightfully so. As a culture, we struggle with the joys of simple play,

the meaning of good sportsmanship, and the lightheartedness of a game well played. Life as we live

it today can feel too serious, and the prospect of competition against

that backdrop can feel like yet another layer of harshness, judgment, or evaluation. To boot,

those who have too much of a competitive spirit often demonstrate the least exemplary attitudes.

I'd argue, however, that we throw the baby out with the bathwater when we push competition away

instead of cultivating a healthy relationship with it.

Trust me, I should know.

As a recovered competitive endurance athlete, I've been on both sides of the tracks.

It's a big reason why I wrote primal endurance.

As is often the case with primal instincts, we can vilify

competition with a one-dimensional assessment, or we can strategically harness it for our personal

advantage. Now, with lots of experience under my belt, I always make a point to strive for the

ladder. Sure, some of us are inevitably more drawn to competition than others.

And we all gather energy from a unique mix of internal and external motivation.

Nonetheless, we're all born with the basic wiring.

Competition is part of the human story, after all.

As a species, we've been propelled forward by the competitive edge, time, and again.

Survival of the fittest may not mean as much in today's world, but it was the principle

that governed humanity's evolution through the ages. Although Grok's time wasn't necessarily

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