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Competitiveness: Nature vs Nurture?

Posted on 7/30/25 at 12:40 pm
Posted by PenguinNinja
Antarctica (and Japan)
Member since Sep 2011
2314 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 12:40 pm
How much do you think each plays a part in making a child (or person) competitive?

I’m thinking the difference between a 7-15 yr old boy playing sports, or games, etc. some completely break down if they lose and have an insatiable fire in them to win everything no matter what, and others are like “meh..”

How much of this is genetic vs parenting influence?

Posted by Topwater Trout
Red Stick
Member since Oct 2010
69416 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 12:41 pm to
quote:

How much of this is genetic vs parenting influence?


no clue but growing up with 6-7 kids my age definitely made us competitive
Posted by SCLibertarian
Conway, South Carolina
Member since Aug 2013
40829 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 12:42 pm to
Mostly nurture imo
Posted by LemmyLives
Texas
Member since Mar 2019
13027 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 12:43 pm to
Parents always raise shitty competitors. You can draw a straight line between kids that throw tantrums on the field to the parents.
Posted by MattA
Member since Nov 2019
1982 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 12:45 pm to
Can only speak for mine, but their little personalities were pretty set early. Fast forward years and years and they are pretty much the same kids. The happy go lucky one is still that way, and the aggressive one is still that way.
Posted by lsupride87
Member since Dec 2007
107907 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 12:54 pm to
Mainly nature. You can tell by watching siblings who all grew up the same having wildly different competitive personalities


Sure nurture plays a part, but nature is more important
Posted by lsupride87
Member since Dec 2007
107907 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 12:56 pm to
quote:

Parents always raise shitty competitors. You can draw a straight line between kids that throw tantrums on the field to the parents.
McEnroes had the same exact parents.

John was a complete psycho on court and Patrick was very calm
Posted by facher08
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2011
5589 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 12:57 pm to
Nature in my case because my competitive personality is completely opposite of my parents.
Posted by GruntbyAssociation
Member since Jul 2013
8408 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 1:00 pm to
I was competitive as a kid. When I realized my talent level wasn’t going to get me paid, I backed off. Nothing I hate worse than playing pickup game with the 40 something diving for balls because “he’s been competing his whole life.”
Posted by 777Tiger
Member since Mar 2011
88004 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 1:10 pm to
quote:

How much of this is genetic vs parenting influence?



there were two instructional league teams that shared the same stadium in Jupiter, FL when I lived there, one year the starting SS on one of the teams was Todd Rundgren's son, Todd was in town for a show and was interviewed, the interviewer asked about his son, Rundgren said something to the effect of "I'm almost afraid to ask for a DNA check because there is no way he inherited an ounce of that kind of ability from me," also met Peter Rivera(drummer/singer for Rare Earth,) when he was doing a show in Jupiter, he had two sons playing minor league ball, and although he looked somewhat athletic(at least in a previous life,) he acted as he was puzzled where that came from too
This post was edited on 7/30/25 at 1:14 pm
Posted by clamdip
Rocky Mountain High
Member since Sep 2004
20290 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 1:12 pm to
We all like to think nurture, but it's almost all nature.
Posted by Lgrnwd
Member since Jan 2018
8223 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 1:19 pm to
Posted by VolSquatch
First Coast
Member since Sep 2023
7379 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 1:24 pm to
Neither of my parents are very competitive. I would say I'm overly competitive. So in my experience I would say nature.

I think there is a healthy way to present the value of competition in a nurture sense to children, but you risk turning your kid into a total dickhead if you do it wrong.
Posted by BamaAlum02
Huntsville, AL
Member since Nov 2005
1094 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 1:24 pm to
I have 3 kids. Oldest doesn't have a competitive bone in her body. The middle one has to be the best and win at everything she does. Youngest still trying to figure it out but seems more like oldest.

Based on that, I am going to say nature.
Posted by NewIberiaHaircut
Lafayette
Member since May 2013
12297 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 1:30 pm to
I think the drive to compete is Nature. Controlling emotions when you win/lose is Nurture.
Posted by soccerfüt
Location: A Series of Tubes
Member since May 2013
72616 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 1:41 pm to
quote:

Oldest doesn't have a competitive bone in her body.
Shiny hook is so shiny….must….resist….
Posted by Mingo Was His NameO
Brooklyn
Member since Mar 2016
36127 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 1:45 pm to
Underlying competitiveness is all nature, learning how to harness and use it is nurture.


You can’t make someone who’s not competitive or doesn’t give a shite care, but you can teach someone who so badly wants to win how to use that to improve
Posted by CitizenK
BR
Member since Aug 2019
13713 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 2:55 pm to
There was a study in Scandinavia several decades ago with twins separated at birth. Each twin achieved similar education and profession as the corresponding twin. Each twin married someone who looked similar with a similar education as the corresponding twin. WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
Posted by Musashi
South Louisiana
Member since Dec 2020
430 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 3:01 pm to
90% nature.

No doubt about it. You are either born with it or not. Some are born to compete and others could almost care less.
This post was edited on 7/30/25 at 3:03 pm
Posted by MattA
Member since Nov 2019
1982 posts
Posted on 7/30/25 at 3:10 pm to
quote:

No doubt about it. You are either born with it or not.


Especially when it comes to sports. If you could buy/train athleticism, would be way more braxxxxtons in the mlb.
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