Is American Society Too Competitive

Today, the world as we know it is very competitive in all areas of our lives. In high school, you have to be the best to play any sport. If you are a girl, the pressures to be the perfect image and be prettier than the next girl are incredible. To get in to college, it is a competition to be the best in order to be admitted. These are just a few areas showing how the American society is extremely competitive. To make it in this country, you have to be very aggressive. If you are passive, you will be walked on, but if you are aggressive, you will get everything you want. Even though getting everything you want seems like a good deal, it sometimes comes at a huge cost.
If you want to compete in a high school sport today you have to start at an early age. My mom was telling me about her experiences in high school. She said anyone who wanted to play a sport could, whether they had any experience or not. My friend started playing volleyball in the fifth grade and devoted her whole life to it. She played for Orchard during their season and then played club volleyball for Team Indiana. She made Cathedral’s freshman team, devoting every free hour to extra lessons and workouts. This year, she tried out for her school team and did not make it. Today, it seems like she feels lost. Everything she worked for did not pay off. This is not an isolated incident; this is a common story. You have to start at a young age and choose what sport you want to play at a young age. Sometimes the demand can be too much pressure and causes a lot of kids who would like to play, not to because of the intimidation factor.
In today’s society, it seems like a girls are pressured into having a certain body image. It is a competition to see which girl is prettier, skinnier, meaner, or smarter. In some cases it seems like older women feel it is necessary to get enhancements to their body just so a man will love them. I believe everything was given to us for a reason and that we should appreciate what we have. We are all unique in our own way.
Trying to get into a college is a very competitive time. Colleges take into consideration which students have the best grades, does the most extra-curricular activities and volunteering, whose family has gone to that school, and whose family has donated the most money. I feel that this is completely wrong. Everyone should be able to have equal opportunities. Sometimes a student will work really hard in a class and not get the best grade, sometimes the student cannot do extra-curricular activities because a team or club has rejected them, or sometimes the student has not volunteered because they are participating in a sport year round. It should be more than what one can put on paper and fill up the space; it should be more about what each unique individual has to offer.
The world today is so competitive. These are just a few of the many competitive situations that affect my life. I think some competition is good, but most of the time it destroys people.