Dr. Jamil Zaki

So absolutely competition can be part of a very healthy social structure and a very healthy life. I think that the broader question is whether we construe that competition at the level of a task, or at the level of the person. In fact, there's a lot of work in the science of conflict and conflict resolution that looks at the difference between task conflict and personal conflict.

So absolutely competition can be part of a very healthy social structure and a very healthy life. I think that the broader question is whether we construe that competition at the level of a task, or at the level of the person. In fact, there's a lot of work in the science of conflict and conflict resolution that looks at the difference between task conflict and personal conflict.

So absolutely competition can be part of a very healthy social structure and a very healthy life. I think that the broader question is whether we construe that competition at the level of a task, or at the level of the person. In fact, there's a lot of work in the science of conflict and conflict resolution that looks at the difference between task conflict and personal conflict.

You can imagine in a workplace, two people have different ideas for what direction they wanna take a project in. Well, that's great if it leads to healthy debate and if that is mutually respectful.

You can imagine in a workplace, two people have different ideas for what direction they wanna take a project in. Well, that's great if it leads to healthy debate and if that is mutually respectful.

You can imagine in a workplace, two people have different ideas for what direction they wanna take a project in. Well, that's great if it leads to healthy debate and if that is mutually respectful.

But the minute that that turns into blanket judgments about the other person, oh, the reason that they want this direction is because they're not so bright or because they don't have vision or because they're trying to gain favor. That's when we go from healthy skeptical conflict to into cynical and destructive conflict. And you see this with athletes as well. Athletes often are very good friends.

But the minute that that turns into blanket judgments about the other person, oh, the reason that they want this direction is because they're not so bright or because they don't have vision or because they're trying to gain favor. That's when we go from healthy skeptical conflict to into cynical and destructive conflict. And you see this with athletes as well. Athletes often are very good friends.

But the minute that that turns into blanket judgments about the other person, oh, the reason that they want this direction is because they're not so bright or because they don't have vision or because they're trying to gain favor. That's when we go from healthy skeptical conflict to into cynical and destructive conflict. And you see this with athletes as well. Athletes often are very good friends.

And some of the people that they respect the most are the folks who they're battling in the case of contact sports and boxing, literally battling, but they can have immense and positive regard for one another outside of the ring in those contexts.

And some of the people that they respect the most are the folks who they're battling in the case of contact sports and boxing, literally battling, but they can have immense and positive regard for one another outside of the ring in those contexts.

And some of the people that they respect the most are the folks who they're battling in the case of contact sports and boxing, literally battling, but they can have immense and positive regard for one another outside of the ring in those contexts.

So I think that there's a huge difference between competition that's oriented on tasks, which can help us be the best version of ourselves, and competition that bleeds into judgment, suspicion, and mistrust.

So I think that there's a huge difference between competition that's oriented on tasks, which can help us be the best version of ourselves, and competition that bleeds into judgment, suspicion, and mistrust.

So I think that there's a huge difference between competition that's oriented on tasks, which can help us be the best version of ourselves, and competition that bleeds into judgment, suspicion, and mistrust.

And I appreciate you saying, yeah, I also try to avoid good, bad language or moral judgment. But I think that many of us have the goals of having strong relationships and of flourishing psychologically and of learning accurately about the world. And if those are your goals, I think it's fair to say that cynicism can block your way towards them. I love this.

And I appreciate you saying, yeah, I also try to avoid good, bad language or moral judgment. But I think that many of us have the goals of having strong relationships and of flourishing psychologically and of learning accurately about the world. And if those are your goals, I think it's fair to say that cynicism can block your way towards them. I love this.

And I appreciate you saying, yeah, I also try to avoid good, bad language or moral judgment. But I think that many of us have the goals of having strong relationships and of flourishing psychologically and of learning accurately about the world. And if those are your goals, I think it's fair to say that cynicism can block your way towards them. I love this.

I've never thought about it in this way, but I love that perspective. And there is almost a philosophical certainty. Maybe it's not a happy philosophical certainty, but we love to, right? that determine what will happen. And the laws of physics are some of our most reliable, right? And really we all use theories to predict the world, right?

I've never thought about it in this way, but I love that perspective. And there is almost a philosophical certainty. Maybe it's not a happy philosophical certainty, but we love to, right? that determine what will happen. And the laws of physics are some of our most reliable, right? And really we all use theories to predict the world, right?