Journey to the Secret World of Competitive Learning
I still clearly recall a math instructor from high school who used to have a weekly competition for students to solve problems. I initially was not that optimistic about it, but I quickly discovered something odd: the more I competed, the more I developed. It was more important to surpass oneself than it was to defeat others. The competitive environment made every task seem like a puzzle I had to figure out. It began as lighthearted fun, but by the end of the year, learning new skills became an addiction. The realization dawned on me then: humans are predisposed to succeed when faced with competition. Similar to competitive gaming or sports, the satisfaction of winning might motivate us to keep getting better at what we're learning. Athletes push themselves to be stronger, quicker and better not only for their own enjoyment but also to outperform their rivals. In a similar way, players in online games continuously improve their tactics, picking up new skills with every game...