Winning Definition Essay

714 Words2 Pages

People commonly think of winning as coming out “on top” in any set of circumstances. Winning is, for example, having the highest score in a basketball game or the best grades in a graduating class. However, winning is much more than just its dictionary definition. Winning is not just defined by the outcome of position in a set of circumstances, but also by the work put in, the class of the individual or group, and most importantly, what is learned from the experience. To begin with, one will never truly win without making some effort to do so. For example, I have never heard of a student acing a test without some preparation on his or her part and attributing it to their hard work. Rather, it is usually called “sheer luck” when someone is …show more content…

This applies not only to the losers of a situation, but also to the winners. Most people have heard the phrases “cheaters never win” and “sore losers,” but they do not typically tag them onto winners. However, they still apply. Whether someone wins in the strictest meaning of the term or not is an obvious result, but if one is boastful, he or she gains nothing from the situation. Thus, he or she is not winning anything. In the same way, if someone is dishonest and cheating, he or she learns nothing from the experience. In contrast, honesty and good sportsmanship propels people into a position of better success so that they may “win” in whatever they do. If members on a losing basketball team accept their defeat graciously, they win more than the opposite team that is overly celebrating and boasting in their win. If a student makes a C through an honest effort and attributes their shortcomings to themselves, they win more than the student that misses one question and complains about the teacher. Good class in defeat profits people much more than the “win” …show more content…

In order to learn something from an experience, one must work honestly and apply himself or herself with class. If a basketball team wins out of sheer luck, the players are rewarded for something they did not achieve. In this way, they are learning nothing. If a student cheats on a test for a good grade, he or she will not truly know the subject that they are receiving the grade for. He or she has learned nothing about the topic. This is not winning in the long run. These types of people may win a short term goal in the moment, but is losing overall. The team that loses but gains new strategies may be better off in the future. The student that learns his or her lesson and studies better the next time gains new knowledge. Learning from a loss in the moment allows people to become better versions of themselves, gain new knowledge, and improve their skills. Learning from the experience and changing in the long run constitutes a real win. As the great Nelson Mandela once said, “I never lose. I win, or I

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