Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing," football coach Vince Lombardi once insisted. But from the cutthroat working world to social athletics to even the fierce sporting arena, cooperation--not competition--is what guarantees better performance.
In a review of 64 studies on adults, undergraduates and elementary school students in laboratories, classrooms, recreation programs and free-play settings, David Johnson, Ph.D., and colleagues found that subjects who worked together achieved the highest scores in motor skill activity. We use motor skills in practically everything we do--jogging, typing at the computer, walking the dog. People who cooperated with others also raised their own levels of self-esteem.
But that doesn't mean going for the gold is unhealthy. "Under certain conditions, people simply seem to enjoy competition," says the University of Minnesota researcher. Those include games or sports which we play for fun or motivation, not for the thrill of victory. But if you're trying to improve your tennis game or rise to the top of your company, working with your peers and fellow players is the way to reach your personal best.
