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1-Page Summary of Top Dog

Overview

Everyone reacts to competition differently. If you want to improve your performance, the first step is to understand how you react in a competitive environment.

Scientists and researchers have delved into this topic to discover why some people are more competitive than others. When thinking about the science behind competition, keep these things in mind: There are two types of competitiveness. Not all competition is bad, but it can be a positive agent for change. Close competition pushes people harder than they would normally go on their own. It makes everyone think that they have a chance at winning if they work hard enough to win. Avoid “one versus many” situations because going up against one competitor increases performance on average, but many competitors diminish performance by making less effort or even giving up altogether when faced with too much resistance from multiple opponents at once (like in team sports). Make use of your home advantage (or any area where you feel comfortable or familiar) because an evolutionary response gives you the upper hand when you’re on your own turf—that’s also true for other animals like birds who know exactly what territory belongs to them and how far away intruders should stay if they want peace between different species sharing the same space without fighting over food and shelter (the survival instinct might not apply here since we’re not talking about life-and-death situations). Approach competitions as challenges rather than threats because reframing competitions as challenges rather than threats can improve performance significantly; women compete less often due to cultural reasons that stem from socialization during childhood, etc., but women show equal ferocity when competing just like men do—it’s just that men tend to enter more competitions overall despite being discouraged from doing so by parents/teachers/etc.; don’t get seduced by positive thinking because while it has benefits, it can lead you to underestimate your opponent(s) and overestimate yourself; make use of the power of testosterone (and other chemicals) which will help give you energy needed for intense physical activity such as playing sports or fighting off enemies during war times; embrace team vibes which means moods spread among teammates easily through body language, facial expressions, tone of voice used while speaking…

Foundations

A researcher studied people who jumped out of airplanes. She found that, while there was a significant level of stress each time they did it, the stress level noticeably decreased with each subsequent jump. By the third jump, the hormone surge was comparable to what you get when you’re running late for work.

Another experiment involved Hunter S. Thompson interviewing professional ballroom dancers. They competed in order to win the honor of being the best dancer, but there was no threat to their lives or well-being. Still, they experienced a high level of stress similar to that felt by skydivers who jumped out of planes for fun and not because they had to. The more times the skydivers jumped out of planes, however, the less intense their stress response became (which is why it’s important for skydiving instructors to have many years’ experience). But regardless how many competitions professional ballroom dancers participated in beforehand, their stress levels were consistent and high throughout each competition.

Practice is not enough to win. What matters more than practice is being able to perform under pressure and handle stress well. The key to winning is enduring the stress of a competitive situation, harnessing its energy, and performing at your best when it really counts.