Article July 27, 1940 Issue

Competition

BRUCE ALAN LUDGATE, Jr.

Competition enters into many phases of experience. It is believed to accelerate business and encourage sport. But as Mrs. Eddy states on page 266 of "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany," to her sense one of the most imminent dangers of the then coming century was "insufficient freedom of honest competition."

"Compete" comes from two Latin words meaning "together" and "to seek." Therefore, the root meaning is to seek together, or the working of two or more for the same end or for superiority. The sense of rivalry and the belief that only one can win the prize are now commonly associated with the word. What insidious suggestions these are! What fear, strife, hatred, dishonesty they can bring! What unworthy acts and thoughts have arisen from this limited concept! But the correct view of competition will heal discord, establishing harmony and joy. This view is obtained when we look to God and find what is absolutely true.

On page 259 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy has written, "Immortal ideas, pure, perfect, and enduring, are transmitted by the divine Mind through divine Science, which corrects error with truth and demands spiritual thoughts, divine concepts, to the end that they may produce harmonious results." Let us, therefore, correct the erroneous beliefs connected with competition, in order that harmonious results may be experienced.

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